A Somber Year
by Crazybird101
Summary: King Sombra has returned. The Crystal Empire has fallen and Twilight Sparkle is believed to be dead. A year later, Twilight returns. But she isn't the same pony as she was before... (The cover art belongs to RoseyTail on Deviantart)
1. Chapter 1

**Warning:**

**Dystopian AU**

**Dark themes**

**Language**

**Psychological Torture**

**Very evil Twilight Sparkle (Changed to Twilight Terror 'cause she's 100 percent evil and OOC in this. And sparkle doesn't sound all that evil XD )**

**OOCNESS (duh)**

**Violence**

**Character deaths **

**Gore**

**Future lemon**

**Angst**

**Possible typos or writing errors**

**Disturbing Content**

**I do NOT own My Little Pony: Friendship is magic**

**Flames will be used to...um...roast marshmallows for Fluttershy and Discord. Or sausages. **

**X.X**

Shining Armor's head was impaled onto a pike just outside of the Crystal Castle. Mouth slightly agape and eyes still widened from the initial horror he felt before his life ended. The former captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard barely stood a chance against the dark magic used by King Sombra. The last thing he heard was the gray stallions dark cackle before his vision faded. But he died in fear. Fear for his wife. For his sister. For her friends. For all of Equestria. Over time, ponies would come to envy the fallen prince. For he wouldn't be around to endure the horrible future that would befall all of Equestria.

...

Twilight Sparkle was crying. Feeling alone and forgotten. She prayed that her friends were alright. That they were able to escape before it was too late. But her brother... Her dear brother...

"Shiny..." she whimpered. Warm tears flooding down her cheeks. Memories of watching Sombra ripping her brothers head right off his body and slamming it down on a pike came rushing back. She screamed and cried for her brother. Refusing to accept that he was really dead. Wanting to actually _hug _his head. It had been three days since Sombra had taken over the Crystal Empire. All of its residents easily submitted themselves to the tyrant's rule and returned to work in the mines in chains.

_She_, however, had been purposely spared. Locked up and chained in the darkness of the dungeon. She cried day in and day out. Only stopping to sleep. Just to cry again the next morning when she found herself in the same, dreaded, place. King Sombra enjoyed seeing her suffer. Mocking her for her failure and how she had been foolish to even think she could outsmart somepony like himself. It only brought her more grief.

"Just kill me already...please..." she begged him.

Sombra gave her a dark, sadistic chuckle in reply. "Then we would miss out on all the fun. After all. I have _special _plans for you, Twilight Sparkle."

It sent a shiver down her spine thinking about what the stallion had in store for her in the future. All that mattered, though, was that her friends were safe. That they were able to reach Princess Celestia. That she and the others would come to her rescue and defeat Sombra once and for all.

"Princess Celestia will rescue me!" Twilight said defiantly. Tears brimming her eyes.

"Sweet Twilight." Sombra crooned chillingly, "She's yet to even show up. What makes you think she would come to your aid?"

"Because I am her most fateful student!" Twilight Sparkle said proudly.

"Really now?" Sombra mused. For a pony to be a student of Celestia's meant that they are worthy. Possibly powerful. "Young, mare." Sombra chuckled, "I could teach you far more things than that pathetic excuse for a alicorn."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened with anger. "Don't you EVER insult the princess like that!" she roared, "And I will never join you! I would rather die by your cold hooves than betray the princess!"

Sombra saw the defiance her eyes and sighed deeply. "Perhaps we have a lot of training ahead of us." The king then grinned darkly. Sadisticly. "Let's see how long it takes for a mare such as yourself to break." his red horn started to glow at the tip.

Twilight could only scream as she endured her worst nightmare over and over. Seeing the disappointment on Celestia's face would forever embed itself in her mind. Sombra enjoyed seeing the younger unicorn cry and suffer. He focused harder. Making the nightmare seem more real. Twilight covered her head with her hooves. Curling up on the cold, unforgiving floor and screaming at the top of her lungs while tears coursed down her face. Sombra eventually stopped after a half-hour to rest.

"My..." he panted, "You're a strong filly, aren't you?"

Twilight weakly opened her eyes; both were puffy and red from the crying she's done. She slowly got on all fours. "I...will never...break..." she said weakly, "Princess...Celestia...will come for me... You'll see..."

Sombra smirked. He couldn't help but admire this mare's strong will. "I can assure you. The Princess will never come for you. If your friends can survive the frozen terrain, that is."

"M-my friends will get to her! You'll see! Princess Celestia and the Canterlot Royal Guard will come and stop you!"

"Hmm." Sombra stared at the young mare. This was going to take much longer then he originally intended. "It appears I have a lot of work to do with you..." he murmured. He then narrowed his crimson irises towards the young mare and grinned darkly. "Let us begin round two, then." he chuckled as the tip of his horn glowed once more.

...

The Princess, nor her friends, never came, however.

**X.X**

**I should warn all of you that this won't be your ordinary happy go-lucky My Little Pony fanfic. There WILL be some disturbing content. But this is practically centered mostly around Sombra and Twilight Sparkle.**


	2. Chapter 2

The sky was gray over Ponyville

Rainbow Dash glided down from her house in the sky quietly and landed on the cobblestone street of Canterlot with a black scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. She walked amongst the other ponies that inhabited Canterlot, who were also dressed in black accessories or garments. All of whom had a mournful expression on their face. A few with tears in their eyes. Rainbow Dash had a neutral expression. But it didn't hide the anguish she felt storming inside of her.

Like rough waves crashing against large rocks during a bad storm at sea. She refused to shed a single tear until she arrived at her destination. Which is the same destination every other pony was heading to. All of the stores and businesses were closed for the day. Signs saying "Closed" hung on the doors as the owners quietly walked along with the other resident ponies.

There was a location in Canterlot that's rarely ever been used. A spot that over looks all of Equestria. At least, the areas you could see. Areas like the Everfree Forest or Cloudsdale. A sea of gray blanketed the sky. Darkening the landscape into a gloomy setting that would be fit for a sad film. Ponies of all species were seated in the chairs that were available. The trees surrounding them were decorated in black ribbons while two separate portraits were standing at the front surrounded by a variety of flowers. Both the one on the left featured Shining Armor; grinning and dressed in his Canterlot Royal Guard armor. The one on the right featured Twilight Sparkle; surrounded by books and smiling sweetly.

Rainbow Dash spotted her friends sitting at a part of the front row that was specially reserved for them. Pinkie Pie was dressed in a black dress with a black rose corsage in her hair. Applejack wore a black bandana around her neck and had her head bowed respectfully. Fluttershy wore a black grown decorated in black ribbons; a black ribbon tied around her neck as well. She seemed to be on the brink of tears. Rarity was dressed in a long black dress and had a few black bows in her elegant, purple hair. Spike was sitting beside her with a black bowtie around his neck. Tears already brimming his eyes.

Rainbow Dash quietly took the empty seat by Pinkie Pie. The normally happy pink pony seemed to acknowledge her presence, but said not a single word. None of them did. Rainbow looked to the row on her right and spotted Twilight and Armor's family. Their mother weeping heavily while their father had his front arms wrapped around her in comfort. But he too seemed to be reaching his breaking point. Princess Cadance, Shining Armor's wife, wasn't able to make it. She was too unstable to even get out of bed.

Princess Celestia and Luna were standing at the front over looking the crowd. Like the rest, they wore black. Celestia raised her head and opened her eyes, which were filled with sorrow. "Let the service commence." she said in an even voice. Trying to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. Every pony present lifted their heads up to face the Alicorn sisters. Celestia took a moment to swallow before speaking.

"Today we are here to remember the lives of two very brave ponies: Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor..."

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes sadly. Remembering the entire incident back in the Crystal Empire a week prior to this. Witnessing Sombra destroying the tower where Twilight Sparkle was last seen in before their very eyes. How Shining Armor suddenly went berserk and ordered them to flee the Crystal Empire while he attacked Sombra viciously.

_Maybe...I could've done something, _Rainbow Dash thought to herself. But she knew that there was nothing she could've done to save Twilight. Even if she tried.

"Now...we may begin the speeches..." Celestia said before she walked over and stood by her sister.

Night Light and Twilight Velvet were the first to go. They stood before the crowd of ponies who gathered for the service. Night Light mustered whatever mental strength he had left and spoke. "First of all, my wife and I would like to thank Princess Celestia and Luna for holding this service for our children. Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor were...very good ponies. They were the greatest thing that's ever happened to my wife and myself. And...for what that monster, Sombra, did to our children... I hope he is found and brought to justice!"

When a fleet of the Royal Guard arrived to the empire, they were surprised to find the place completely empty. Void of all life. The only thing that proved of Sombra's presence there was finding Shining Armor's head impaled to a pike at the front of the castle. It was enough to affect even those most hardened stallions. The news brought horror and distraught to everyone all over Equestria. Twilight Velvet and Princess Cadance took the news the hardest.

They managed to find Shining Armor's body, or what's left of it, in the wilderness and placed it in a decorative coffin along with his head and buried in a plot only used for heroic or royal ponies. They searched what remained of the tower Twilight was last seen in, but found nothing but the remnants of black crystals. They found the Crystal Heart, the only thing that repelled Sombra, smashed to pieces.

"Twilight Sparkle was like a mother to me." Spike whimpered, "S-she was my best friend. I loved working with her. I-I miss you, Twi... W-why did you have to go!?" Spike to his knees and cried. Burying his face into his little hands. It took the help of Rarity for him to walk back to his seat.

Next up was Applejack. "Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor were two of the greatest ponies I've ever met." she said. "Twi, if ya hear up there, know that you'll always have a place in my heart. Rest in peace, girl..."

"Before Twilight Sparkle, I didn't have many friends." Rarity said when it came her turn. "But because of her, I was blessed with the gift of friendship. Plus I was able to meet a very special dragon: Spike." Rarity then turned her attention up to the gray sky. Tears rolling down her beautiful face and messing up her makeup a bit. "Twilight...I don't think I've ever said this..., but thank you. Thank you for everything."

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! TWILIGHT SPARKLE! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Pinkie Pie sobbed once it was her turn.

When it came to Fluttershy's turn, the shy pegasus found herself unable to control her emotions and cried on the spot. Blabbering gibberish that no one could understand.

Eventually it was Rainbow Dash's turn. The normally tough, strong pegasus stood before the crowd with shaking legs. Her voice cracking as she spoke. "T-Twilight Sparkle wasn't just a friend...she was like a sister to me. We both had our differences...but I loved her like family!" Rainbow Dash finally broke down and cried. Surprising a few of the ponies there. "I'm so sorry, Twi! I could've done something to save you! I'm so sorry! I love you, Twilight! I love you! I promise I'll make Sombra pay for he did to you and your brother. I'll make sure he suffers the worst fate possible!"

"Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor..." Luna whispered after Rainbow Dash had her turn. "For a thousand years I've been trapped within the moon. Watching the Earth as it changed throughout history. I've seen ponies be born into this world, and I've seen ponies leave it. Shining Armor did not deserve his fate. It disgusts me that a stallion so cruel would do that to another! And Twilight... If it weren't for her and her friends...I wouldn't be standing here today." Luna closed her eyes just as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Thank you...Twilight... I'll make sure that Sombra will be put to justice...I can promise you that..."

Princess Celestia was the last to go. There was a brief moment of silence as she stared at everypony present. As if looking into their souls and minds. She felt their pain and sorrow. In a slightly cracked voice, she spoke. "Shining Armor will be remembered as the bravest stallion in all of Equestria. His bravery will go down in Equestrian history as the most devoted member of the Canterlot Royal Guard. As for Twilight Sparkle..." Celestia suddenly found herself struggling to speak a bit. Wave of emotion coming at her all of a sudden.

"Sister?" Luna said worriedly. Gentle touching her cheek with her hoof.

Celestia calmed down and smiled at her little sister. "Thank you, Luna." she said before continuing. "Twilight Sparkle was the greatest student I've ever had the pleasure to know. She was devoted to not only her studies, but also her family and friends. And...she wasn't just a student... She was like a daughter to me... I loved her like one. I sometimes saw her as one. Night Light and Twilight Velvet were blessed to have such an amazing daughter. And son, as well." Celestia then shot her head up and a determined look appeared on her face. "From this day forward! The Canterlot Royal Guard will devote their time in tracking down and bringing King Sombra to justice! His crimes will not go unpunished! We will make sure that Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor did not die in vain!" She stomped her right hoof to the ground. Leaving a few small cracks.

At that moment, everyone shot up and cheered. Supporting Celestia's commitment. Celestia raised her hoof and everyone silenced immediately. "Now...we shall conclude this service with a song sung by my sister, Princess Luna." Celestia took a few steps to the side and allowed her sister to come stand in her place. Everyone fell silent at the Princess of the night began to sing in a comforting, angelic voice.

_"Spend all your time waiting_

_for that second chance_

_for a break that would make it okay_

_there's always some reason_

_to feel not good enough_

_and it's hard at the end of the day_

_I need some distraction_

_oh beautiful release_

_memories seep from my veins_

_let me be empty_

_and weightless and maybe_

_I'll find some peace tonight"_

_"In the arms of the angel_

_fly away from here_

_from this dark cold hotel room_

_and the endlessness that you fear _

_you are pulled from the wreckage_

_of your silent reverie_

_you're in the arms of the angel_

_may you find some comfort here..."_

_"So tired of the straight line _

_and everywhere you turn_

_there's vultures and thieves at your back_

_and the storms keep on twisting_

_you keep on building the lies_

_that you make up for all that you lack_

_it don't make no difference_

_escaping one last time_

_It's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh_

_this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees"_

Tears flowed down Luna's face as she sang. But what surprised her next was the fact that everyone, one by one, started to join in. She smiled tearfully, but didn't stop singing.

_"In the arms of the angel_

_fly away from here_

_from this dark cold hotel room_

_and the endlessness that you fear _

_you are pulled from the wreckage_

_of your silent reverie_

_you're in the arms of the angel_

_may you find some comfort here_

_you're in the arms of the angel_

_may you find some comfort here..."_

"Sleep well, Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor..." Celestia whispered as her tears started to fall.

**X.X**

**I figured that I should show you guys what's going on with the others.**

**I don't own the song, btw.**

**New chapters will hopefully appear tomorrow. **

**And kudos to the peeps who left a review :3**


	3. Chapter 3

Twilight yanked and pulled at the metal chain that was attached to the metal collar around her neck. They relocated to a castle hidden in the mountains with the Crystal Ponies. Sombra thought it would be a nice touch if he dragged her along with a chain leash. But Twilight Sparkle refused to be treated like somebody's pet.

"My..." Sombra purred when he stepped into her cell, "You look lovely in chains."

Twilight grunted before glaring dangerously at the tyrant. "As soon as I get outta here-!" Twilight yelped when she lost her balance and accidentally slipped onto the stone floor. Sombra chuckled in amusement.

_She's a tough mare, this one, _he mused as he continued to watch her fight with the chain. _I've tried all of my nightmare spells, but none of them are strong enough to break her. It's no wonder she was able to last this long. I must try harder. She must see things my way. _

Twilight eventually gave up on the chain and fell on her back in exhaustion. Her tongue hanging out as she panted for breath. Sombra felt something click in him when he saw the young mare splayed out like that on the floor. Fighting back the urges that were beginning to pop up in him, he spoke. "Shall we begin today's secession?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Oh _joy_." she spat sarcastically.

"It doesn't have to be this way if you would just give up on Celestia and join me instead. She hasn't even sent a search party for you."

"Y-You don't know that!" Twilight protested.

"Oh, but I _do _know, Twilight Sparkle. I've lived on these lands since my colthood. It would be suicide if she were to send a search party out in this type of weather."

"The Canterlot Royal Guard has some of the best fliers in all of Equestria." Twilight said firmly. "I'm sure they'll _manage_."

Sombra growled softly in frustration. Flashing his pure white fangs dangerously and causing Twilight to recoil back slightly. No pony she's ever known in person had fangs. This was no ordinary unicorn. Sombra was a master of dark magic. The master of nightmares. The king of shadows. She was skating on thin ice right now.

"They will _never _find you, Twilight Sparkle." he snarled as he slowly approached the now frightened mare. "You _will _join my side as both my apprentice and my queen. Your so called "friends" care nothing for you. Neither does your _beloved _mentor."

"Shut up!" Twilight screamed as she quickly covered her ears. "Just shut up already!"

Sombra snapped. "You NEVER show disrespect towards ME!"

Twilight tried to put up a brave face, but found that she was too frightened to even move a single muscle. Instead she crawled away from the angry king until she curled herself up against the corner of her cell. Pressing against the cold walls and shielding her face with her hooves.

"I _will _break you." Sombra vowed. His eyes flashing green as light purple smoke fumed from the corner of his eyes. "And I will use any means necessary in doing so." The tip of his horn glowed before he struck her with a nightmare spell.

Twilight screamed from the agonizing pain that now coursed through her body. She was now enduring the same nightmare she's been having ever since her capture.

_Princess Celestia's face looked grim. She shook her head and looked away from her. Clearly disappointed by her failure. Twilight collapsed onto the carpeted floor. Crying heavily. "You call yourself my student?" Celestia scoffed as she narrowed her eyes at her. "Hmph. Some excuse for a student who can't even do one thing right."_

_"Princess! Please come back! I'm sorry! I'll try harder next time! I promise! Please don't leave me!"_

Twilight wailed on the floor. Frantically crying out to someone who wasn't really there. Sombra grinned at his current results and forced more power into the spell. Hoping to add more effect in the end. Twilight suddenly screamed in sheer horror.

_"No, Princess! Please! Please don't kick me out! I'll try harder! Just give me another chance!"_

_Celestia narrowed her eyes angrily at Twilight and said, "No more chances, Twilight Sparkle. You are hearby no longer my student! You aren't even close to being worthy enough! I made a mistake choosing you the first day I saw you. You are weak! Useless! You're nothing but a useless filly!"_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Twilight screamed in despair as tears proceeded to flow from her closed eyes. She shot out her hoof in a desperate attempt to reach for the alicorn that wasn't really there to begin with. Everything felt so real that Twilight was trouble defining if this is just another one of Sombra's tricks, or if this is the real deal. It was messing with her mind severely.

Sombra felt a sense of victory in him. He was getting close. He could just feel her nearing her breaking point. Soon he would have her on his side. Such a strong, beautiful mare is very likely to produce some strong offspring. The mere thought of just _touching _her sent a shiver down the gray stallion's spine. He could hardly wait. He just needed to have her break...

...

Two months had gone by.

Twilight had never felt so alone before in her life. She had lost a large amount of weight during her capture. Refusing to eat any food offered to her. It was only until Sombra threatened to force feed her that she decided to at least eat a bit of food. Her eyes were red from the crying she's endured during her secessions with Sombra. Dark rings formed underneath her eyes from lack of sleep. It made her sick to think that Sombra had a nice mattress with a warm blanket and cozy pillows to sleep on while she had nothing but the floor and her arms.

"You just won't accept it. Won't you?" Sombra sighed after a secession. Twilight layed on the floor. She looked up at the tyrant with wet, tearful eyes.

"Why?" she asked, her voice now hoarse from all the screaming she's done during each secession. "Why me? Why do you do this to me? What did I do to deserve this?" More importantly, why hasn't Celestia come for her yet?

Sombra approached the fallen mare and, to her surprise, gently brushed his hoof against her long unkept mane. "I do this for your own good,Twilight." he said fondly as he continued to caress her. "You refuse to listen. You refuse to believe that Celestia and your friends have abandoned you for good."

Twilight narrowed her eyes at the stallion and viciously ripped away from his gentle caresses and crawled back a few feet. Minding the chain that was still latched onto her. "No... You can torture me as long as you like... But I know Celestia hasn't given up on me. She'll never give up on me because she loves me. She and my friends."

Something suddenly clicked in Sombra's head and he smirked evilly to himself. "Hm. That's something a _failure _would say." he said casually. This caught Twilight's attention and she immediately perked her ears up at this.

"W-what are you saying?" she asked weakly.

Sombra smiled innocently. His crimson eyes flickering. "Think about it for a minute, sweet Twilight. Celestia sent you to the Crystal Empire as a mission, yes?"

Twilight thought for a moment. It had only been two months. Yet everything seems like a distant memory now. She nodded her head shakely. "I-I think so."

"Well... Look at what occurred. Not only had you failed to stop me, but you failed to save everyone. You allowed your brother to get killed. You allowed the Crystal Ponies to get enslaved. You brought your friends into grave danger. Why would that give Celestia a reason to save you? Why would she want something to do with a failure such as yourself? Your friends left you because you placed them in mortal danger. What makes you think they'd still want you as a friend after what you put them through?"

"I-I..." Twilight stammered. She couldn't find the right words to use. Was Sombra really telling the truth. Now that she thought about it, he _does _have a good point. "B-but...I don't understand." she whimpered.

Sombra sighed deeply. He was close. So very close. He just needed to put her through a secession one more time. This time make it as real as possible. Enough to make her believe it's real. He casted the spell and Twilight screamed. It wasn't long until she found herself in a familiar situation.

_Twilight found herself surrounded by her friends and family. Everyone she knew in person. They were all giving her hateful and disappointed looks. Even Spike!_

_"Why, Twi?" Shining Armor asked coldly, "Why did you let me die?"_

_"I-I didn't think..." Twilight struggled to speak._

_"You let my husband die in the hands of Sombra, Twilight Sparkle." Cadance hissed, "And to think I actually agreed to be your foalsitter. _

_"Cadance, please!"_

_"It was a mistake ever meeting you, Twi!" Rainbow Dash snapped harshly. "All you've ever done was get us into dangerous situations that could kill us!"_

_"Yeah!" the others agreed in unison. _

_"Dash...Applejack...Rare...Fluttershy...Pinkie..."_

_"Hmph! You only see me as a slave! You just _used _me as an excuse to become Princess Celestia's student! Some mother you are!" Spike snapped bitterly. _

_"That's not true, Spike!" Twilight cried. Not Spike. Anypony but Spike..._

_"You're a terrible excuse for a student!" Celestia said cruelly. Glaring hatefully at the frightened unicorn. "I am better off with somepony who actually _knows _how to do things right! All of Equestria is better off without you!"_

_Twilight gasped in sheer horror. Did she really just say that? Celestia of all ponies!?_

_"I wouldn't be dead if you hadn't fucked things up at the Crystal Empire!" Shining Armor yelled. Causing Twilight to recoil back in fear._

_"This is all your fault! My husband would still be alive if it weren't for you!" Candace screeched._

_Twilight suddenly felt something hit her. She fell to the ground. Bleeding from a wound to her face. She couldn't over and gasped when she saw Rainbow Dash standing in an attacking position. "That's for almost getting us killed all the time!" the blue pegasus hissed._

_"D-Dash..." Twilight felt the tears finally fall. "I-I thought we were best friends..."_

_"You HAVE no FRIENDS." _

_"No...NO!" Twilight screamed in sheer denial. "This can't be happening!"_

_"You see what I mean? I can't have a friend who acts like a deranged lunatic!" Rainbow Dash snapped._

_"She's a danger to us and Equestria." Celestia growled. "It's best if we just get rid of her. For our sake." she spoke with no remorse whatsoever. _

_"I couldn't agree more." Shining Armor agreed. _

_"No..." Twilight whispered. _

_The group started to approach her. All with a deadly look in their eyes._

_"No...stop...please...STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"_

Sombra watched Twilight writhe on the floor in pain. As though she were being beaten to death. Her tears and pleas didn't stop as she frantically flew her arms around as if she was attempting to protect herself from her invisible attackers. When the spell finally wore off, Twilight had been reduced into nothing but a shivering mess on the floor. Curled up in a tight ball crying loudly. Sombra smiled softly and approached the broken unicorn. He finally broke her. Just like he wanted. He layed beside Twilight before removing his cape and placing it on her. Twilight snuggled at the soft, comforting fabric. The first comforting thing she's felt since her capture. She felt the steel collar around her neck suddenly fall off and hit the ground with a "clang" along with the chain. She continued to cry from there.

"Sweet Twilight..." Sombra crooned as he gently pulled the unicorn into an embrace. He was pleased to see that she didn't pull herself away, but actually clung onto him for comfort. Pressing her face against the cold armor covering his chest. "Now do you believe me? The ones you once saw as your friends betrayed you. They care nothing for you. They've abandoned you."

Twilight whimpered loudly and pressed herself even closer to the gray stallion. Sombra smiled and gently caressed her mane. "Don't worry, my dear. I'll never be like them. I'll always be by your side no matter what. _I'm _your only real friend."

Twilight sniffled and her loud sobs had been reduced into nothing but broken whimpers. Eventually, she gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep right in Sombra's arms. Wrapped in his warm, cozy cape. The gray stallion grinned victoriously and gently brushed his lips near her horn. It would be a long road to recovery for her. But all she needed was some food and rest on a comfy bed. And luckily for him, he knew just the bed to use.

Sombra chuckled. He was looking forward to the next step of his plan.

**X.X**

**Sorry, Twi! :( But I rather have you tortured psychologically than physically. And no. Sombra's not going to take advantage of Twilight. If you know what I mean -.- **


	4. Chapter 4

_1 year later..._

Chin up, Dashy! Today's a special day!" Pinkie chirped. Playfully cuffing underneath her chin. Rainbow Dash managed to put up a brief smile before it quickly faded away.

In perfect honesty, she didn't want to come along today. She'd rather be with the Canterlot Royal Guard searching for Sombra right now. Princess Celestia kept her word when she vowed that the Royal Guard would search for Sombra day in and day out. Things haven't been the same since the service that was held for both Twilight and her brother. While everyone else returned to their normal routine, the mane six (formally) grew a bit distant of one another.

Spike went on to live with Rarity and became her assistant, but he rarely ever spoke unless asked a question. It took him months of therapy to stop the night terrors that plagued ever since the Crystal Empire incident.

Applejack started to spend more time at her farm and less time with her friends. Taking her mind off of things by working.

Fluttershy retreated to her cottage near the Everfree Forest and the animals that inhabited it. Feeling that it would be best if she spent more time with her animal friends. Hanging out with Rainbow Dash and the others just brought back too many painful memories.

Rarity worked twice as hard at her boutique. Designing more and more dresses just to keep her mind off of Twilight and her friends. But whenever she saw a certain shade of purple, she would cry. Spike was her only acception during those kind of situations.

Pinkie Pie was still Pinkie Pie, but grew less energetic and threw fewer parties. When she did, they just didn't have that exciting thrill like they used to. And she never used purple. Never.

And Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Dash took to the skies. Spending most of her time in the never-ending sea of blue to try and fly her worries away. It worked at first. But over time she just couldn't let go of the fact that Twilight was truly gone. She requested many times to join the search for Sombra, but it was repeatedly denied. Her place was in Ponyville, they told her. It only brought anger to her whenever she thought about it.

Princess Cadance hasn't been the same since they released from the hospital. She grew distant of everyone and locked herself in her room. What she did in there is a mystery. But they knew that the alicorn needed some space. Losing Shining Armor was like getting hit by an oncoming train. Losing Twilight Sparkle was like losing the sister she never had. Everyone agreed that it would take a long time before she would attempt to socialize with anypony outside the castle in Canterlot.

Princess Celestia hasn't taken another student since the service. Instead she concentrated on her duties as ruler of Equestria and finding Sombra. For the first time since banishing Nightmare Moon in the moon itself, she was grief stricken. Princess Luna, on the other hand, wouldn't rest until she had Sombra dead by her hooves.

Since losing both their children, Night Light and Twilight Velvet left Canterlot to a different town far away. The exact name of the town wasn't mentioned before they left. Only that "they just needed to forget". They haven't been heard since.

Today was a partly cloudy day for Canterlot. Everypony went on with their usual business. A few acknowledging the pink and blue ponies that walked by before going back to work. Outside of Canterlot they approached the spot where the service was held. A small plaque was placed there to honor the memory of Twilight Sparkle; since she didn't have a grave mark.

Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, Princess Luna and Celestia were already there. A purple balloon tied to a small rock was resting near the plaque along with some flowers and small gifts. A candle rested in front. The small flame swaying lazily in the wind. The ponies exchanged quiet greetings before turning their attentions to the plaque. There was a brief moment of silence as they stared at the words that were carved into the golden plating.

**To Twilight Sparkle**

**A brave friend**

**A loving mother**

**And the holder of magic**

**R.I.P.**

"No need to be so gloomy, you guys!" Pinkie Pie suddenly spoke. Breaking the silence. "Turn those frowns upside down! It's what Twilight would've wanted us to do. She would've wanted us to be happy today."

The ponies stared at her silently. Some in slight dismay. "She's right..." Rainbow Dash finally whispered.

"What?" Rarity asked.

Rainbow Dash blinked away a few tears that were beginning to appear in the corner of her eyes. She turned to her friends. "It's only been an entire year since we lost Twi and Shiny. Twi would want us to move on and live happy like we did before. The least we could do is smile on her birthday for her..."

Smiles appeared on the faces of the other ponies. "Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are right." Princess Celestia spoke in her angelic voice, "This is what Twilight would want from us: to smile."

Spike sniffled before letting out a choked sob. "I-I miss her so much." he whimpered as he buried his face in his little hands and cried. Rarity gently wrapped her arm around him and pulled him into a loving embrace. "It's okay, Spike..." she whispered tearfully, "I miss her too. We all do..."

"Always remember that Twilight is with her brother in a much better place." Princess Luna added. "She is watching over us everyday. Let's continue living. For her... For Shining Armor..."

Spike wiped nose with his wrist and nodded. Managing to put up a small smile.

Rainbow Dash said nothing. Her head lowered and ears flat against her skull. She took a moment to remember the good times she spent with Twilight. All those adventures they shared with their friends. How they were able to Nightmare Moon and reunite Celestia with by using the elements. How they were able to defeat Discord and turn him to stone once more. How they foiled Queen Chrysalis plans at Shining Armor and Princess Cadance's wedding. Everything they did, they did together.

"Happy birthday, Twi... I love you..." the blue pegasus whispered as a tear trickled down her cheek. It just wasn't the same without Twilight. She had to admit, she missed the unicorn's loving laughter. She missed Twilight entirely. A boom was suddenly heard and rain started to fall. Everyone fell silent. Doing nothing as the rain fell on them. Putting out the candle that was resting in front of the plaque.

"Even the heavens shed tears for our loss." Princess Celestia whispered. Allowing heavens tears to cleanse them of their grief and sorrow. Rainbow Dash said nothing as she watched the rain fall. Raindrops blended in perfectly with her tears.

**X.X**

**For anyone who's confused. The rest of the fic will now take place a full year after the Twilight's breaking. Let's see what the future has in store now...**

**Note: I'll probably be adding one or two chapters a day. I can't promise anything during school days, though. Plus I must ask, should I imply that Rainbow Dash had a crush on Twilight? I've SEEN the fanart and it looks like a popular pairing. (Although I personally ship Sombra/Twilight, Discord/Twilight and Discord/Fluttershy)**

**Alonen51: Why thank you very much for the compliment :) But I can't guarantee that two chapters in one day will be every day. **

**00Search: Glad you're interested. I hope you enjoy this fic :)**

**My Demonic Heart and Soul: Don't think I've forgotten about you ;D! I'm glad that you like the fic so far. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning: This chap will contain violence and character death. More like...filly, death. So technically...there will be murder. Just outta let you guys know because I care for the well-being of my lovely readers, so...enjoy! :D**

**X.X**

"Sorry to hear that, Mr. Rich. But my friends and I will keep a lookout for them, though." Apple Bloom said to the grayish amber stallion. Mr. Rich simply nodded, looking worried and desperate, before turning away to leave. Apple Bloom gently closed the door and thought about what Mr. Rich had told her. "Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are missing? I wonder why?" The young filly simply shrugged it off.

No one really liked Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to begin with. They were such snobs and huge braggarts. But she will, reluctantly, keep an eye out for the two. _They probably found love for each other and decided to run away, _Apple Bloom couldn't hold in the laugh that erupted from her.

...

The crimson pegasus grinded his teeth together in an attempt to block out the desperate cries of the fillies he tied and blindfolded. Going as far as to stomp his armored hooves on the cold, stone floor. Lone candle illuminated a faint glow in the corner. Enough to light up most of the small room. The fillies, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, snatched up just outside of Ponyville, were spared having to see the partially clawed walls and faint blood stains painting it in some places; along with the unknown stains that covered parts of the floor.

Black Fire's jet black mane-with crimson highlights-brushed against his face when he snapped his attention over to the heavy wooden door as it slowly opened. The large, masculine form of King Sombra stood in the doorway. Partially silhouetted. Black Fire closed his flaming orange eyes and bowed deeply as his king entered the room. His heavy armor clanging with each step he took while his fur cape trailed behind him.

"My..." Sombra said smoothly while gazing at the terrified fillies on the floor, "What perfect specimens you've brought for us."

"Thank you, my king." Black Fire whispered as he raised his head. The stallion pressed his black wings tightly against his armored body. Silently waiting for the command that he was dismissed. Though he wouldn't mind witnessing the death of the two fillies, he just didn't want to be around when _she _arrives.

The Nightmare Queen, or Queen of Nightmares, has finally reached the last stage of her training. After a full year of intense training and practice, today would be the day where _she _will officially master the art of dark magic. Only a few have ever seen the Queen, and lived to tell the tale. Unless you were part of the Obsidian Guard, your fate was sealed as soon as you met her blazing, dark violet eyes that were surrounded by green. Sombra would often describe his mate as "evilly beautiful".

"You've done well, Captain." Sombra praised the recently promoted stallion. Giving him a sly grin.

Black Fire felt his heart leap for joy when he heard those words from his king. But he easily hid his joy by simply nodding and giving him a faint smile.

"Bring her in." Sombra whispered as he gazed at the fillies, "It is time." Black Fire nodded and walked out of the room to fetch his Queen. Sombra let out a low, dark chuckle. Causing both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to scream in sheer terror. He's waited a while for this moment. For the day his apprentice/Queen to past her final test. Just to see if she was officially converted to his side. Soon the sound of armor slapping against one another was heard just outside the door. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon screamed and wailed even louder. Just begging to be set free.

An armored mare, just about the height of Sombra's neck, slowly emerged from the darkness. A long mane dragged by her side; the brilliant colors that once dominated it had darkened over time. Long bangs partially obscured the deadly glare that was always present on the mare's face. Her horn was curved and pointed at the end; matching Sombra's own. Large wings rest by her sides. Having only gained them a few months back, she was now an official alicorn. But it meant nothing to her. It only gave her more power through her corrupted eyes. A crown resembling Sombra's, but much smaller, rested on her head.

"My Queen." Sombra crooned as he gently brushed away her long bangs to reveal glowing green eyes with purple mist spewing from the ends. "My Twilight Terror."

Twilight said nothing. Merely glaring at the two fillies writhing on the floor. More than ready to do whatever her King commanded.

"Are you ready for your final test?" Sombra asked as he slowly circled the battle hardened mare. Examining the results of their daily training. "Are you will to take the life of two innocent fillies just to prove your loyalty towards me?" He then brought his muzzle up to her ear and whispered, "Are you willing to do this one thing for me?"

Twilight growled dangerously as a wicked grin appeared on her face. "Yesssss." she hissed.

"That's a good mare..." Sombra nuzzled the back of her head softly before taking a few steps back.

Diamond Tiara shuddered fearfully. But what surprised her was the mentioning of the name "Twilight". Could it be the same Twilight she knew back in Ponyville before her death? Could it really be Twilight Sparkle? This raised many questions for the young filly. But all of her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when she heard Silver Spoon scream beside her.

The light grey filly felt a strong pressure on her chest. Yet she didn't feel any hoof on her. Silver Spoon soon found it hard to breath. Her tiny breathes started to grow weak and ragged as the pressure started to become more unbearable. Twilight concentrated all of her energy towards the tiny filly. So young. So fragile. She wondered how long it would take to kill one by pressure. She grinned wider and applied more pressure. Earning a loud shriek.

Diamond Tiara cringed at her friends shriek and frantically started to move in her bonds. "NO!" she screamed. "PLEASE! LEAVE HER ALONE! DON'T HURT HER! SHE'S MY ONLY FRIEND!" Tiara felt the cloth cover her eyes become wet from the tears that were now falling. Silver Spoon had always been there for her from the start. Always acting like her shadow and doing everything she does. Losing Silver Spoon will be like losing a sister.

Silver Spoon felt her ribs begin to crack. Her lungs felt like they could burst at any moment. Her petite body just can't handle all this pressure in her. It hurts. Everything just hurts. She opened her mouth to speak; only for a weak cry to come out instead. Twilight smirked before she placed her armored hoof on Silver's chest and added a bit more pressure. Hearing her tiny breathes grow weaker and weaker. Silver suddenly tasted a metallic taste in her mouth before coughing frantically from lack of air. A few droplets of blood land on the dark armor covering Twilight's hoof. The mare chuckled darkly and added even more pressure.

What Diamond Tiara heard next made her throw up a bit in her mouth. She heard what sounded like a million bones breaking at once. She heard Silver Spoon gasp before she suddenly fell silent. Twilight removed her hoof from Silver's shattered form and made her way over to Diamond Tiara, who was now begging for mercy.

"T-Twilight... Please... D-don't kill me... I-I have so much to l-live for."

Twilight's eyes flashed a menacing green lashing out a spell at the tiny filly. Tiara howled in agony from the attack. Her head felt like it was being stabbed by a million knives. Twilight never knew such powerful spells like this. "T-Twilight! Please! Snap out of it!" she begged. She rarely ever begged. Unless it was for something she wanted. And she always got what she wanted. But not today, unfortunately.

Twilight enjoyed the fillies agonizing screams with each spell she casted. She remembered how much she hated the snobby little Earth Pony and her friend. Everypony in Ponyville pretty much hated them. They won't be missed. Meanwhile Sombra took joy in watching his mate complete the test without hesitation. It would take a pony with no heart whatsoever to murder two innocent fillies without remorse. He had taught Twilight well. Very well.

Tiara felt her blind slip off during her struggle. She blinked her eyelids a few times before screaming when she saw Twilight looking down at her with an empty expression. Eyes fixed in a half-lidded gaze. Tiara thought she heard something in her break and an enormous wave of pain from her skull replaced all other feelings she felt. Twilight had broken her skull by using a spell. She noticed a small stream of blood start to ooze out of her ears. Specks of bone present in the crimson liquid like glitter.

Tiara started to gag on her own blood as she struggled to speak. "T-Twil-light Sp-Sparkle..." she gurgled.

Twilight scowled at the filly and increased the power in her spell. "I don't know any Twilight Sparkle." she said coldly. "My name is Twilight Terror. The Queen of Nightmares!" Twilight grinned as she watched Tiara's eyes roll to the back of her large skull. Her entire body started to tremble erratically. In a loud "pop" Tiara's head was splattered all over the floor and walls. Pieces of flesh and blood covered Twilight's face and chest, but she remained unphased.

"Well done." Sombra said as he approached his mate with a proud expression. "You've passed your final test and proven your loyalty towards me."

Twilight turned her head over to her King just as he pressed his muzzle against her's. "This calls for a reward." he whispered before he pressed his lips against Twilight's in a soft kiss. Licking the sweet filly blood that was present. Twilight kissed back. Wrapping her arms around his neck. "I should get myself cleaned up." she murmured in the kiss.

"Perhaps." Sombra agreed. "Perhaps you should also trim your bangs a bit. I want to see your beautiful face again.

Twilight giggled and nuzzled her mate. "Your wish is my command, my love." she whispered in his ear. Earning a shiver from the unicorn. She turned to leave the room. Swaying her body side-to-side as she did so. Giving Sombra a seductive look. Sombra felt himself tense and grinned to himself. Twilight always had a way to turn him on. He then turned his attention back to the filly corpses. One crushed and the other headless. He noticed the tiara that the pink pony had worn before she "lost her head". He crushed it with one step.

"Black Fire!" he called.

The crimson pegasus galloped into the room and bowed quickly. "Yes, my king?" he asked.

"Take care of these bodies for me. Send it to their families as a gift from me." Sombra said before walking out of the room to leave Black Fire with the mess. Black Fire turned his attention over to the corpses and cackled slightly when he saw the bodies. Ideas already swarming in his corrupted mind. A pink box, perhaps, for the one with the tiara cutie mark. A red bow would look good with it as well. And the silver one? Perhaps a gray box would suit perfectly.

**X.X**

**Black Fire's gonna be an important OC throughout the fic. Not a major character, but one that will certainly be noticed. **

**Guest: I totally agree. Twilight/Sombra FOREVERRRRRRRR!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: this chapter will contain lemon between two evil ponies. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**

**X.X**

_Knock knock_

Mr. Rich, currently in a depressive state, sighed. He wasn't in the mood to answer the door. His daughter had been missing for almost an entire day. He was starting to get worried. He hasn't been this worried or depressed since his wife died after giving birth to their first foal. He heard a few more knocks on the hard oak doors and groaned.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." he muttered as he lazily made his way over to the front door. Opening it, he was surprised to find the postalpony standing with a pink box wrapped in red ribbons beside him.

"Special delivery for Mr. Rich." the pony said before nudging the box to the stallions hooves.

Mr. Rich examined the present curiously with a raised brow. "Who's it from?" he asked.

"It's anonymous, sir. Even I don't know." the pony said before turning around to leave.

"Hm." Mr. Rich stared at the box. It certainly wasn't his birthday, and it wasn't even close to Diamond Tiara's. Curious, he undid the red ribbon around the box and removed the lid.

...

"So you're saying he _fainted_?" Rainbow Dash asked slowly.

"Yeah! Right on the spot, too!" Applejack replied before taking a sip out of her drink. "Even the postalpony who delivered the package almost fainted."

Rainbow Dash shuddered. News of the package Mr. Rich received spread throughout Ponyville like wildfire. Not only that, but Silver Spoon's family also received a present containing the corpse of their daughter. There's already a rumor saying that the doctor's might have to lock Silver Spoon's mother up in an asylum because she wouldn't stop screaming. The mere thought of someone killing two fillies in such a gruesome way was enough to shake Rainbow Dash to her core.

For a pony to murder a filly was extremely taboo in all of Equestria. Often leading up to severe punishments. Just who did it was the big question right now.

"Everypony in Ponyville is on high alert now." Applejack added. "My big brother is beginning to consider waiting for Apple Bloom after school. I mean. Who the HAY would murder a pair of innocent little fillies? It just makes me sick!" the mare angrily slammed her hoof on the table.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Even though Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon weren't exactly the BEST fillies in Ponyville, that didn't mean I wanted them to die. Not like that." she sipped her drink quietly. Another thought suddenly came into mind and she looked over to Applejack dead straight in the eyes. "Do you think King Sombra had something to do with this?"

Applejack stayed silent for a minute as she pondered about the question. The thought of the dark king going as far as to murder two fillies seemed certainly outlandish. For Pete's sake, even Discord and Nightmare Moon wouldn't do that! Queen Chrysalis, maybe. But she would do so in order to feed her hive. And it isn't everyday she would go out and kill just two fillies. She would take the entire schoolhouse if she had too. Just how evil could King Sombra get?

"It's more than likely, Dash." Applejack replied before she drank her drink.

Rainbow Dash felt her right ear twitch and she growled softly to herself. _Sombra_, she would give anything to have that unicorn captured right about now. Captured or dead.

"Well. I gotta get goin', Dash. I got some work to do in the morning." Applejack said while standing up from her seat. "See ya later."

"See ya, AJ." Rainbow Dash replied. A few minutes later, she too left the bar and flew to her home in the clouds. The moonlight faintly lit up her room as she crawled into bed for the night. Yawning, she allowed the darkness of sleep to claim her.

_Rainbow Dash found herself in a dark space. Not a building or pony in sight. Not even animals or plant life. Just a big, black, empty void. "Hello?" she called, "I anypony here?" The only response she got was her echo. Rainbow Dash frowned and decided to take flight. After a few minutes of flying she decided to land. Everywhere she went felt like one giant loop._

_"Dashy?" a familiar voice called._

Rainbow Dash suddenly shot up in bed panting. Gripping her blanket tightly in both her hooves as she panted. She looked around and was glad to find herself in her room. But the voice... That lilting voice... Rainbow Dash felt tears start to brim her eyes and she sniffled.

Ponies often saw her as brave and fearless. But when it came to confessing her feelings, she was a coward. She missed many opportunities she could've told Twilight about her feelings towards her. Fearing that the unicorn would shun her for even consider falling in love with another mare. Same sex relationships were rare, but common in Equestria. Most ponies with that sort of relationship mostly kept to themselves about it.

Rainbow Dash often allowed her pride to get the better of her because of the fear that she would be rejected. And what would their families think? What their friends think? Would Princess Celestia disown Twilight if she had relationship with another mare? The last thing Rainbow Dash wanted was to be hated for the rest of her life. She knew how much being Celestia's student meant to Twilight.

Looking back now. She wished that she would've at least tried to talk to Twilight about. Sort of hinted it towards her. But that chance was long gone.

Rainbow Dash knew she wouldn't be able to find another pony like Twilight Sparkle. And it made her cry.

...

Twilight placed the scissors on the edge of the sink. The long bangs covering her face had been trimmed to their original length. She could now see how much she's changed in the year since her capture. Her face was still the same. But her eyes, fur, and mane had grown much darker. Her horn was slightly curved and pointed at the end. She'd also grown slightly taller. These were things she was just starting to pay attention to. Water still dripped from her hair and body. Falling onto the floor and sink. She used her normal magic to place the trimmed hair into the rubbish bin and the scissors back in the medicine cabinet. She took a few minutes to dry herself up and brush her long, dark mane.

Her wings still felt strange. It was a feeling she's just starting to get use to. She already taught herself how to fly. Under surveillanced supervision, that is. But it felt magnificent. Feeling the wind brush against her face made her feel like nothing could stop her. She couldn't wait for her next flight. When she finally left the bathroom she found Sombra already waiting for her in bed. Stripped of his armor.

"Hello dear." he purred. "Ah. I see you've actually trimmed your bangs. My. It's so nice to see that beautiful face of your's."

Twilight blushed shyly. Crawling into bed and straddling her mate. Twilight placed both her front hooves on her husband's muscular chest and the two shared a passionate kiss. Sombra wrapped one arm around her waist as the kiss deepened. Twilight moaned in the kiss as Sombra's tongue explored her wet cavern. "Sombra." she moaned softly after breaking the kiss.

"Mm?"

"When will I have my revenge against the ones who betrayed me?" her eyes glinted green when she spoke.

"Soon, my Queen." Sombra replied as he gently ran a hoof down her long, silky mane. Admiring the softness. "You'll have your revenge soon enough."

Twilight growled softly in disappointment. She yearned to have the blood of her so called "friends" on her hooves. Watching them take their last breath before her cold eyes as they begged for mercy. Oh, how she loved to hear her victims beg for their lives. It made her feel all the more powerful inside. She was going to hear a lot of it when she kills them. She might keep their heads as trophies and mount them in the throne room. Or impale their heads on pikes as a reminder to those who dare try to betray her.

She hated them. She hated them more than the torture she endured during her first two months in captivity. She hated them more than having to watch her brother's head get mounted on a pike. She hated them from the very bottom of her cold, black heart.

"Twilight..." Sombra whispered. Reaching up to kiss her once more. Just to take her mind off of it. "They'll pay for what they've done to you. I can assure you. They will cower at your hooves when they see you flying in with our army over Equestria."

Twilight giggled wickedly. "I can't wait." she murmured. The alicorn then dipped her head down to Sombra's ear and whispered seductively, "And it'll be all thanks to you..."

Sombra shuddered when he felt her wet tongue gently lick his ear. He felt her body begin to heat up and he growled lustfully. Twilight laughed in surprise when she was suddenly flipped around and pressed against the mattress on her back. Sombra hovered over her and smashed his lips against her's in a heated French kiss. After breaking the kiss, Sombra stared at his mate. Panting softly. She was so beautiful. Gazing at his creation after a full year of training and patience. The results in the end was worth the hard effort. She was everything he wanted in a queen: strong, young, ferocious and beautiful.

He caressed her young, soft body leisurely. Moaning quietly when he felt her brush her inner thigh against his hardening member. Pressing soft kisses on his chest. Unable to fight back his urges any longer, Sombra gently gripped Twilight's shoulder and eased himself into the young mare. Groaning in pleasure at the wetness. Twilight made a sharp gasp before moaning softly.

It reminded her of their wedding night. When he first showed her how much he loved her. She was a bit nervous when she saw just how big he was, but he assured her with a few gentle kisses down her jaw.

_"It'll hurt at first." _he told her soothingly. _"But you'll enjoy it in the end." _And she did.

Sombra pulled in and out of the young alicorn. Growling in pleasure. Enjoying her moans and pleas to go faster. Sombra complied. Rocking his hips. Just when things were about to escalate, Twilight suddenly had them switch positions. With her sitting on the now surprised unicorn. He stared up at her questionably, but she merely giggled and kissed him softly.

"Let me ride you." she whispered before rolling her hips. Moaning. Sombra moaned as well. Thrusting upward while Twilight thrust downward. The unicorn spread her legs wider to take in more of Sombra. Sombra smirked. Thinking Twilight's had her fun, he had them switched positions once more. Thrusting into her as soon as she was flat on her back. Twilight moaned loudly as pleasure coursed through her body. She felt Sombra lick the side of her horn.

"I'm...going...to...come...soon..." Sombra growled under his breath. Feeling close to release.

"M-me too." Twilight panted.

The two smashed their lips together. Tongues swirling as they reached the climax of their love making. Sombra pulled his head away roared with pleasure as he released his seed into the young alicorn. Both crying out each other's name. Sombra fell beside his mate. Panting heavily. Twilight rolled onto her side and layed her head on his heaving chest. Drapping one arm over him as she kissed his chest softly before nuzzling it.

"I love you, my sweet Twilight." Sombra panted as he wrapped an arm around her.

Twilight smiled softly. "I love you too." she whispered before blissful sleep claimed both of them.

**X.X**

**Sorry if that little scene was too...descriptive. **

**Fan: Glad you liked the description I had for her :3**

**Skeletonthatdrinkrootbeer: That is EXACTLY what I plan on doing. *Grins evilly***

**Nigthmare shadow: Thanks! ^-^**

**Note: A YouTuber friend of mine called Pikafan003 has taken the time to ACTUALLY read the first chapter of this fic. Check out his channel sometime :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Rainbow Dash just needed some time alone to herself. She flew over Ponyville with a rainbow trail behind her as she thought deeply to herself. Blindingly dodging anything that was in her way. She finally situated herself on a cloud and sighed depressingly. Despite all of her attempts to try and move on with her life, she just couldn't find herself to let go.

"Damn me..." she cursed to herself softly.

"Rainbow Dash! Oooh Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie's voice suddenly called from below.

Rainbow Dash looked over the edge of her small cloud with a depressed look. She saw the pink earth pony standing just underneath her. Grinning widely. "What do you want, Pinkie?" she called monotonously.

Pinkie Pie frowned and crossed her front arms. "Don't talk to me like that, Dashy! I'm just here to try and help cheer you up."

Rainbow Dash sighed to herself and rubbed the side of her head. "Sorry, Pinkie." she groaned, "I just haven't been able to sleep lately."

Pinkie's expression softened and she gave her friend a worried smile. "Do you wanna come down and talk about it with me?" she asked. For once sounding serious.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. As much as she would love to talk about her dream, Pinkie Pie just didn't seem like the kind of pony to talk about it with. Of course, she didn't want to hurt her feelings. "Nah. I just need to be by myself for a while. But thanks."

"Oh. Okay then!" Pinkie Pie said before she turned to head back to Ponyville. "Just remember that I'll always be there for you if you need somepony to talk to."

Dash smiled softly. "Thanks, Pinkie." she said. As soon as the pink pony was out of sight, Rainbow Dash rolled on to her back and stared at the endless blue sky. She wondered if Twilight could hear her from where she was. "Oh, Twi..." she sighed. Closing her eyes to imagine that unicorn was lying right beside her. "I would give anything just to speak to you again. If you can hear me, I just wanted you to know that... I love you. N-not as a friend, but something else. I know this may sound awkward, but..." she chuckled softly, "We can't handle who we fall in love with. Know what I mean? I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was scared. I was scared how the others would've reacted. I was scared of how Princess Celestia would've reacted. I...love you, Twi..."

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and turned her head to look beside her. Of course, nopony was there. Her heart sank, but she didn't cry. Instead she let out a long sigh before she rolled on to her side. She stayed on the cloud for a good two hours. Moping in her self-pity and thinking to herself. She was soon snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Pinkie Pie frantically calling her name.

"Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! You have to come down quick and come to Ponyville Hospital ASAP!"

Rainbow Dash looked over the edge of her cloud and saw the panic in the pink ponies eyes. "Why? What's wrong?" she asked.

...

"Now this may hurt a bit."

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" Little Strongheart cried as the doctor applied the alcohol on her scrapped knee. Tears appearing in the corner of her eyes as she gritted her teeth.

"There we go! All done." the doctor said before bandaging up her knee.

"T-thanks..." the little buffalo murmured.

"See? That wasn't so hard." Rainbow Dash said to her with an assuring smile. Little Strongheart managed to put up a weak smile in return.

"So what happened, Strongheart? How did this happen to you?" Applejack asked as soon as the doctor left the room.

Little Strongheart sniffled. "My herd and I were just about to start our great migration. When we arrived at Appleloosa for the apple pies, the place was a wreck! Building were on fire and everything!"

"WHAT!?" the ponies cried in unison. Spike almost falling off the stool he was sitting on.

Little Strongheart nodded. "That wasn't all. The place was overrun with these ponies covered in this black armor. They also carried weapons like swords and halberds. They were rounding up some of the citizens into a cart like cattle. But then one of 'em spotted us. And they attacked!"

"What happened next?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Little Strongheart swallowed. Her body shaking slightly. "We tried to fight back. But they were too strong! Chief Thunderhooves told me to run away and get to another town as fast as I could. So I did. But a group of armored pegasi chased me down!"

"That's awful!" Rarity gasped.

Little Strongheart nodded. "I suddenly tripped over a rock and fell. I thought they were gonna get me until I saw Dodge Junction ahead. Strangely enough, that's when they stopped chasing me and flew back to Appleloosa. The ponies there found me and took me here to be treated."

"You wouldn't have happened to see my cousin in Appleloosa. Did you?" Applejack asked.

Strongheart shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Applejack. I didn't see him there. They must've captured him already."

AJ tensed, but nodded. "Thanks, anyway." she said.

"First the murders of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. And now this attack on Appleloosa? What the hay is happening right now!?" Pinkie Pie cried.

"_Something's _going on, Pinkie." Rainbow Dash said. She then tightened her jaw and snarled dangerously. "And I have a feeling that might know who's behind all this."

Spike swallowed. "You don't think..."

Rainbow Dash turned towards the door.

"Where ya goin', Dash?" Applejack asked.

"I'm catching a train to Appleloosa. I need to see this for myself." Rainbow Dash said before closing the door behind her. Rainbow Dash left the hospital and made her way to the train station without second thought. When she arrived she was a bit surprised to find some Canterlot Royal Guard members standing outside the station with a bag possibly containing their armor beside them.

"What's happening over here?" she asked when she approached one of them.

"The Princess received news about the incident in Appleloosa from Dodge Junction." the stallion replied, "She's given us orders to investigate and search for any clue as to who could've been responsible for it."

The pink train slowly pulled up in front of the station before opening its doors to the stallions and mare. Rainbow Dash felt a little out of place as she followed the stallions inside. Luckily they didn't give her any problems. Rainbow Dash mostly kept to herself during the first day of the ride. The the following night she found herself unable to sleep.

The train cabin was filled with snores coming from the other ponies. But that wasn't the reason why Rainbow Dash stayed awake. She was busy thinking about everything Little Strongheart said. If King Sombra is indeed behind the incident in Appleloosa, and the murders of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, then they're going to have to find him before he does anything else.

"Can't sleep?" a voice above her asked.

"What?"

The white pegasus that was using the bunk above her gave the mare a friendly smile. "Yeah. I can't sleep either. You should hear this guys at the barracks. Holy Celestia." the stallion chuckled softly.

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but make a small giggle. "Yeah, well, I can imagine that with all of them snoring right now."

The white pegasus laughed softly. His long mane, shaded in different shades of brilliant green and blue, hung beside him as he looked over the edge of bunk. "Say. Are you part of the Guard? I don't think I've ever seen somepony like you around."

"Er...no, actually." Rainbow Dash replied. "I'm just on my way to Appleloosa for personal reasons."

"Oh? Do you have a relative living there or something?"

"No. A friend of mine has one living there, though."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"What's their name?"

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you." Rainbow Dash frowned at the stallion in annoyance. The stallion, however, just chuckled.

"I can't help it when I'm curious. It's just a habit I've been trying to break since foalhood."

Rainbow Dash's gaze softened. It sort of reminded her of Twilight Sparkle in a way. Being the smart one she was, she always did have a lot of questions that still remained unanswered. Dash managed to give the stallion a friendly smile.

"I'm Star Knight, by the way. Star Knight of Rainbow Falls." the stallion said, holding out his hoof for her.

"Dash." Rainbow Dash replied when she took. "Rainbow Dash of Cloudsdale."took

The two pegasi shook hooves briefly before pulling away. "Well. It's best if we at least try to get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." Star Knight said before yawning.

Rainbow Dash giggled. Something she hasn't done in a long while. "Yeah. See ya in the morning, Star Knight."

"Same here, Rainbow Dash." the stallion replied with a smile before pulling his head up and laying back in his bunk. It didn't take a while until Rainbow Dash started to hear him snore softly. The blue pegasus felt her eyes grow heavy and she rolled on to her side and pulled the blanket up closer. It wasn't even a minute before she too fell asleep to the sound of snoring and railroad tracks.

...

The vibe around Appleloosa was very much different than it was the last time Rainbow Dash came here. But that was nothing but a distant memory now as she stepped off the train and gazed at the destruction that was left behind. Not a living soul was seen. The guards stepped off the train and examined the carnage with observative eyes. The Captain who was in charge of the squadron kept a poker face and nodded before turning to his stallions.

"Alright, boys." he said in a stern voice, "We're here to investigate. If you find anything that might give us an idea as to who could've been involved, report it back to me immediately. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" the stallions said unison.

Rainbow Dash watched as the small group dispersed to explore the ruins of Appleloosa. She was a bit surprised when she saw Star Knight walking up to her. "Boy." he breathed, "I've heard of Appleloosa before. But this isn't what I had in mind."

"You should've seen it before." Rainbow Dash muttered, "It was a nice little town."

Both pegasi walked side by side as they walked by many other guards searching in and out of ruined or charred buildings. "So what made you decide to join the Royal Guard?" Rainbow Dash asked. Wanting to break the silence.

"Well..." Star Knight thought for a bit. "I don't really know, actually. I just wanted to live a life of adventure. Know what I mean?"

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Yeah. I hear ya, brother. My friends and I use to have a LOT of adventures. But...not anymore." Dash's voice trailed off softly. Star Knight titled his head sideways curiously.

"What happened?" he asked.

Rainbow Dash sighed heavily. "Well. It all happened when a friend of mi- SWEET PRINCESS CELESTIA!" the pegasus screamed in horror when she saw the slaughtered bodies of buffalo lying near what remained of the apple tree farm. Blood soaking the light orange sand. Making it look pinkish-red where the buffalos layed.

"Good Celestia!" Star Knight gasped. Both pegasi took a few steps back from the sheer horror and shock they felt. Rainbow Dash felt her stomach churn and she quickly looked away. Coughing and gagging from the foul stench.

"Who could've done this to them?" the blue pegasus coughed.

"N-no clue." Star Knight swallowed. "But I have to tell the captain."

A few minutes later the entire squadron gathered near the large corpses. Some were horrified. Others were shocked and flabbergasted. The Captain swallowed. His throat dry, but managed to contain his cool and calm composer. The group walked amongst the bodies. The sound of flies already picking at the bodies filling their ears. Rainbow Dash felt a little sick and she inched a bit closer to Star Knight. Upon closer inspection, the bodies had either stab wounds or a deep gash running down their chest.

Rainbow Dash sighed sadly. How was she going to tell Little Strongheart that her entire herd is dead? It was going to break the calfs heart.

"Sir!" an Earth Pony guard called.

"What is it?" the captain asked as they walked up to the stallion. The pony gestured to the flag that replaced the Appleloosa one. A crimson flag with a black crystal in the center waved in the gusty desert wind. The Obsidian Guard having left their mark.

Rainbow Dash's lips curled back in to a snarl and her nostrils flared. "King Sombra!" she screamed. Her enraged voice echoing throughout the town that was completely void of life.

**X.X**

**Fan: It will! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

Green Trees slammed his pickaxe against the hard rock wall. Sweat beading his forehead as he took a few seconds to catch his breath. All around him, Crystal Ponies repeated the same pattern. But none of them dared to stop. Even for a one minute break. They all knew that their "king" disliked it when they weren't working. Under the circumstances of severe punishment by the Obsidian Guard.

Green Trees swung the pickaxe again. His right her flickering when he heard hoofsteps coming in his direction. He quickly pulled and swung his pickaxe again as the black armored stallion walked by. A cold, merciless look in their crystal eyes. What had once been friends and neighbors were now transformed into ruthless soldiers to the dark king. Dark armor completely hiding their bodies and clanging each time they moved. The guard walked by. Examining each pony to see if they were working.

Green Trees felt the other stallions hot breath brush against his short mane as he looked over his shoulder. The armored stallion gave an approved nod and resumed his inspection. Green Trees sighed a soft sigh of relief as soon as the stallion was further down the tunnel and out of his sight. He'd been having to endure this labor for over a year. Since Sombra had retrieved the Crystal Heart and reclaimed the Crystal Empire. Not only that, he had a mate that is just as sinister as him.

As soon as they were sure that the guard wouldn't be back for another while, Green Trees and the other ponies with him dropped their pickaxes and huddled together in a small group.

"Are you guys ready for this?" a gray crystal stallion whispered lowly. "We've been planning for this for months. This could be our one chance in stopping Sombra."

"W-what about the queen? Twilight Spar-Terror." a mare, Amber Leaf, asked hesitantly.

The stallion, Ash Hooves, sighed gravely. "From what we've seen, she's beyond saving. The nicest thing we can do is put her out of her misery."

Green Trees raised a hesitant hoof. "A-are you sure you wanna go with this? I mean... It's not gonna be easy sneaking into the castle. Pluse this is King _Sombra _we're talking about. The one who personally snuffed Shining Armor.

Ash Hooves suddenly narrowed his crystal eyes at the other stallion. "Don't tell me you're thinking of backing down now, Green Trees. We've been planning for this for months!" He then daggered his pale gray eyes into Green Tree's pale yellow ones. A serious expression on his worn out face. "Do you want to have to work in a mine for the of your life while that son of a bitch is busy fucking his wife every other day?"

Green Trees tensed a bit and bit his bottom lip. Finally, he shook his head. "No." he sighed. He really did miss his freedom. He missed the days where he was able to walk freely without constantly being watched or in chains. He missed the good old days when King Sombra was more of a decent unicorn than a tyrant king. "Let's do it, then." he said.

...

The Earth Pony stallion grumbled to himself as he made his rounds through Mine 7 again. Clearly bored with having to check on slaves every five hours just to make sure they were behaving. The first section of the tunnel went well. The ponies were doing exactly what they were suppose to do. The second section of the tunnel was also doing good.

Green Trees and the others waited patiently for their turn. Casually swinging their pickaxes like they've been doing for the past year or so. They soon heard the sound of clanging armor and Green Trees clenched his teeth tightly. The guard entered their part of the tunnel with a fierce, yet glazed over look in his eyes. The stallion passed Gray Hooves.

In a quick movement, the crystal pony swung his head and struck him in the back of his neck. The guards eyes widened with shock as he let out a surprised gag. The others soon followed; swinging their pickaxes down mercilessly on their former neighbor and friend until they were sure he was dead. It affected them greatly because of the fact that they just murdered one of their own. But this was a cruel world they lived in now. Plus they weren't the same pony anymore.

"Alright... One down." Ash Hooves panted as he wiped some blood off his face.

Green Trees stared at the dead Crystal Pony by his hooves. Silently envying them for finally being free of Sombra's wretched hold.

"Amber Leaf" Ash Hooves turned to the young mare, "Go tell the others. It's time to show King Sombra what we're made of!"

"R-right." the mare said hesitantly before galloping up the tunnel.

Green Trees and the others took the time to wipe off any blood they had on them before picking up their pickaxes and started charging up the tunnel. They soon met with the other ponies and together they charged out of the mine. Pickaxes raised and ready for battle. As soon as they reached the surface, however, they all came to a skidding stop.

Obsidian Guards, almost half of the current army, stood waiting for them with their weapons. They surrounded the Crystal Ponies; blocking off any sort of escape route. The pegasi and unicorn crystal ponies who worked in the mines had their horn or wings clipped off to prevent any sort of escape or attack. So they immediately lost hope of escape. Standing before them was none other then King Sombra, Twilight Terror, and Black Fire.

Sombra chuckled. "Oh, you foolish slaves." he said smoothly. "Did you honestly think you would get away with a rebellion without me finding out?"

"How?" Ash Hooves snarled. Putting up a brave face. That face was quickly replaced with one of sheer shock when Amber Leaf emerged from behind the dark unicorn. Head lowered and ears flat against her mane.

"A-Amber?" Green Trees asked shakely. Also shocked by this sudden act of betrayal from the young mare.

Amber Leaf opened her eyes and looked at her former friends. In tears, she said remorsefully, "I-I'm sorry everyone. But I just had to..."

"But why!?" Ash Hooves screamed.

"Because there's no way!" Amber screamed back. Tears flowing down her face as she glared at the others. "We can't defeat King Sombra! We just can't! There's no possible way! Even Shining Armor or those six ponies couldn't stop him! It's hopeless! Just hopeless!"

"Such a good mare." Sombra cooed fondly as he brushed his hoof against the mares mane. "Now. Why don't you tell us who the masterminds of this little rebellion are?"

Amber Leaf sniffled and gulped before looking at the group tearfully. The other crystal ponies looked at her fearfully and anxiously. Silently begging her not to tell.

_Don't tell him, Amber. Please, _Green Trees thought.

"A-Ash Hooves. Green Trees. A-and Crystal Arrow."

The ponies whose names were called closed their eyes and sighed heavily.

"Step forward." Sombra commanded.

The ponies looked at one another before dropping their only weapons and stood before the dark king. Putting up brave faces. Sombra nodded and turned to Black Fire. "Black Fire, kill them." he ordered without remorse. The crimson pegasus nodded before raising his prized weapon; a black halberd he called "The Harbinger". Amber Leaf desperately wanted to close her eyes or look away, but she knew that the king would be very displeased if she did so.

The Crystal Ponies from the small resistance group and the others watched as Fire Black decapitated Ash Hooves's head cleanly. The head fell to the ground in a hard "thump" that caused Amber to flinch. Crystal Arrow was next. The stallion bravely closed his eyes and waited for the moment his vision would go permanently black. Like Ash Hooves, his head was sliced right off. And then it was Green Trees's turn. He continued to stare at Amber Waves even as Black Fire stood before him with the blade of his halberd resting mere inches from his neck.

He wouldn't die hating her. He would choose not to hate her for her betrayal. Instead he mentally thanked her; for he was finally going to be free from this hellhole. Amber Leaf blinked just as the blade ran through the green stallions neck. She squeaked in terror as she watched his head fall and roll to the side while his body fell above Ash Hooves's.

"Let this be a reminder to all if you ever try to defy the throne." Sombra said gravely.

The Crystal Ponies huddled together in one group and bowed their heads slightly in submission. Sombra then turned to some of his guards and gestured to the ponies. "Take them back to the mine. And make sure they work until noon, tomorrow."

Amber watched quietly as the guards herded her former friends back into the mine while others took the heads and bodies of Ash Hooves, Green Trees, and Crystal Arrow. She got up and took a few steps towards the mine. Thinking that her duty was done.

"Not you, Amber Leaf." Sombra said in a much more gentler tone.

The mare stopped and looked over her shoulder to find both the king and queen smiling at her. It sent shivers down her spine. She stayed still as the black unicorn approached her. She looked into his burning eyes. Was this the same unicorn who'd given her his red scarf? The same unicorn who comforted her? The same unicorn who shared a similar love interest in her while she did in him?

No.

The Sombra she knew a thousand years ago was dead. Having fallen through an ice-covered lake and drowned by his own shadow. This was a different Sombra. A Sombra she did not recognize one bit. Yet...she helped him.

"You were wise to alert us a few days prior to this." Sombra praised the young mare. "Perhaps you could prove quite more useful than just working in the mines."

Amber blinked. Her eyes widening in curiosity.

...

"Are you sure about your decision with her?" Twilight asked as they crawled into bed that night. Sombra nodded.

"Yes. I am fully confident about my decision for her."

Twilight raised her brow curiously before she straddled her husband's lap. Leaning her head down to nuzzle him lovingly. "I saw the way she looked at you." she growled softly, "She better not try anything funny with _my _king."

Sombra chuckled before her kissed her passionately. "Relax, love. She won't try anything on me. Everypony knows how you get when you're angry."

Twilight scoffed in false offense and crossed her arms. "What does _that _suppose to mean?"

"It just means you won't be having competition any time soon." Sombra suddenly grabbed Twilight's waist and flopped places. The young alicorn laughing in surprise as she was pressed against the mattress before sharing a heated kiss.

...

The train ride back from Appleloosa was a quiet one for all of the Royal Guard members. Some of which found it hard to sleep that night. Both Rainbow Dash and Star Knight thought it would be best if they got away from the others and hung out at the end of the train. Dash thought on how she was going to break the news to Little Strongheart when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She looked up and found Star Knight looking down at her with concerned green eyes.

"Are you still troubled about what we saw back there?" he asked gently.

Rainbow Dash sighed and buried her face in her hooves. "It's just... I don't how I'm going to explain this to Little Strongheart. She's all alone now!"

"Doesn't she know another herd that would welcome her?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Not that I know of."

"Hmm." Star Knight gave his new friend a gentle nudge with his elbow. "Cheer up. You'll think of something. I know you will."

Rainbow Dash said nothing in return.

**X.X**

**Ooooookaaaaaaaaay. This fanfic ia sort of taking a different turn... No, I am NOT abandoning the original plot. Badass evil Twilight and King Sombra totally make an excellent couple. I SHIP THEM FOREEEEEEVERRRRRRRR! And Discolight and Fluttercord.**

**Green Trees and Ash Hooves are just OCs while Crystal Arrow and Amber Leaf belong to Hasbro. **

**The idea with Amber Leaf and the other stuff between her and Sombra were inspired by a legit animation on YouTube called A tale of one shadow. Look it up sometime 'cause it's REALLY awesome :3**

**Fan: Thanks! ^-^ And I'm thinking about having a RD/OC. But for now, Star Knight's probably gonna become a friend that will important later on.**

**And happy Easter to all!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Warning: Death and bloodshed. **

**X.X**

As soon as the train pulled up in the Ponyville train station, Rainbow Dash's heart clenched when she spotted Little Strongheart standing amongst her friends outside the station. Rainbow Dash swallowed dryly. Quickly looking away from the window to sigh heavily. She turned to Star Knight, who gave her a small smile. She managed a small smile back.

"Well. It was really great meeting you." she said.

"Same here." Star Knight nodded. "We should hang out again, sometime."

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash agreed.

The train came to a halt and the doors opened. Rainbow Dash stepped out first and was greeted with bear hug from Pinkie Pie. "DASHY!" she squealed as she hugged her in a iron-clade grip.

Rainbow Dash gagged a bit and managed to say, "I-I've only been gone for two d-days, Pinkie!"

Applejack tapped the pink mares shoulder a few times. "Uh, Pinkie Pie? You're gonna suffocate her to death if ya don't stop hugging her. That or break her rib cage."

Pinkie Pie immediately released Rainbow Dash and giggled playfully. "Sorry." she said, "But this calls for a celebration!" In the blink of an eye the pink mare speedily brought out a cannon. She pulled the string and confetti and streamers blew out. Raining over them. Rainbow Dash groaned softly and got back on all fours.

"S-so how did it go? What did you see?" Fluttershy asked nervously.

"Yeah!" Little Strongheart walked up to Rainbow Dash. "Did you find out what happened to my herd?"

Rainbow Dash sighed before she gave the buffalo calf a sad smile. "I think it would be best if I tell you someplace private..."

...

By the time Rainbow Dash had finished, Little Strongheart was crying in Pinkie Pie's arms. Pinkie Pie, too, was crying. Their sobs filling the barn in Apple Acres farm. Both Rarity and Fluttershy had shocked expressions on their faces. Spike looked horrified while Applejack's nostrils flares with rage.

"That son of a BITCH!" she roared. Angrily pacing back and forth. "THAT FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!"

"Applejack!" Rainbow Dash snapped, "Language! We have a calf here!"

AJ narrowed her eyes angrily. "I don't give a two-bit fuck right now! That son of a bitch had his men slaughter an entire herd of good buffalo and destroyed a town my cousin and his friends worked hard to build! What's worse I don't even know if my cousin is still alive! I swear if I see that stallion fucker I'm going to tie him to a tree and-"

"Stop it, Applejack!" Fluttershy cried. "Just stop it! Can't you see what Sombra is trying to do to us? First he took Twilight from us and now this! Just please! Stop!" the yellow pegasus buried her face in her hooves and proceeded to weep quietly.

Applejack's face softened and she started to calm down. She slowly approached the crying pegasus and gently hugged her. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy." she said sadly, "I'm so, so sorry. It's just that I don't want to lose anyone else. Especially somepony from my family..."

"We're all upset, AJ." Rarity said softly.

"If only we knew where Sombra is hiding. Celestia and her stallions have been searching all over Equestria for him! How could he stay hidden so easily?" Spike added.

"He's a _unicorn_, that's why." Rainbow Dash groaned. "He knows magic. Plus he can turn into shadows."

Little Strongheart sniffled and gently pushed herself out of Pinkie's arms. Slowly walking up to Rainbow Dash with wet eyes. "W-what's going to happen to me then? Where will I go?"

"Is there another herd that would welcome you?" Fluttershy asked after her hug with Applejack.

"Yeah. But they're gone for the year." Little Strongheart replied. Sniffing.

"Ya can stay here until they return." Applejack offered. "We can't just leave ya all by yourself out there. Especially with that Sombra bastard at large."

Little Strongheart managed to put up a weak, but grateful smile towards the mare. "T-thank you." she whimpered. "All of you. I'll be forever grateful for this."

...

Flash Sentry wouldn't have believed his friend if he hadn't shown their squad the three pikes with the heads of three Crystal Ponies. All of which had their eyes closed and jaws shut. Unlike Shining Armor's. The mere thought of seeing the severed heads sent a chill down the young pegasi's back and he looked away to catch his breath.

"Sweet Celestia..." their squad commander breathed as he approached the pikes. Jaw tightened as he tried to hold back the urge to scream. "They look recent." he said gravely before looking over his shoulder at his stallions, "We must be getting close."

The excitement in the stallions present wasn't hard to notice. A few were grinning while others were busy whispering all kind of possibilities to one another. The commander cleared his throat loudly and call of the stallions fell quiet.

"It is quite clear that we could've found our first lead in over a year. Which is why I'm sending some of you to scout ahead. The rest of us will remain on standby until they return. If they do not return in less than five hours, we will march forth. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the guards said in unison.

The commander nodded in approval. "Good." he huffed. "Flash Sentry, Wind Breaker and Storm shall scout ahead, then."

"Right." Flash Sentry said. "We won't let you down, sir. We'll be back before you can sweet Celestia."

The three pegasi unfolded their wings and took flight. Embracing the cold, snowy winds as though it were nothing. Flash Sentry didn't know what to expect beyond these pikes, but it was a clear sign that Sombra and his Obsidian Guard must be nearby. The brilliant gamboge colored pony focused his eyes on a shape he noticed in the distance.

"Guys!" he called, "I think I see something up ahead!"

Wind Breaker and Storm focused on the shape that was beginning to materialize before their eyes. The outline of a castle embedded in the wall of a mountain. The three pegasi landed behind a ridge just outside. Keeping low they peeked over the edge and were surprised by what they found. The castle overlooked a large, wide open mining pit. They managed to spot chained crystal ponies pushing large mining cars filled with red crystals while others walked in and out of mine entrances.

"Sweet Celestia of the sun." Storm whispered in awe.

"Come on." Flash Sentry whispered, "Let's get a closer look."

The trio carefully glided down to a lower ledge and managed to get a better view of the area. The bottom of the pit was wide and flat. With a carved in staircase leading up towards the castle. Barracks were present on both sides. One side had a ponies sparring with one another. Possibly the training area. Flash Sentry felt his stomach turn by the sight. They've found Sombra alright.

Flash slowly trailed his eyes up the stairs and towards the castle balcony overlooking the pit. There he spotted the infamous black unicorn. Long mane and fur cape blowing in the mountain wind majestically with his signature grin plastered on his face. He also spotted a slightly smaller form standing by his side. Flash Sentry suddenly felt his heart stop and his breath hitched.

The dark lavender alicorn was snuggling up next to the king. Armored as well, but without a cape. A smaller crown resembling Sombra's rested snugly on her head. But what surprised him most of all was the biggest surprise of his life when she opened her eyes to reveal dark violet eyes. The same eyes he once saw on a beautiful young unicorn he'd see walking around the halls of Canterlot Castle way back when, but was too shy to even approach her. They may be much darker now, but they were the same violet eyes.

"Twilight Sparkle..." he breathed shakely as he gripped the edge of the rocky cliff tightly. Twilight ran a few kisses down her kings jaw before nuzzling him. Making Flash Sentry feel even more sick.

"We have to get back to the others ASAP!" Wind Breaker said.

"T-Twilight. D-don't you guys see Twilight?"

"What?" Storm and Wind Breaker asked in unison.

Flash Sentry lifted a shaky hoof and pointed it towards the king and queen. Both ponies' jaw dropped wide open in disbelief.

"I-I don't believe!" Wind Breaker gasped.

"That...traitorous...BITCH!" Storm screamed without thinking. His enraged voice echoing throughout the entire area. Alerting all the ponies of their presence. Both Wind Breaker and Flash Sentry shot a glare towards their colleague. "Sorry." he said while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"INTRUDERS!" an Obsidian Guard bellowed.

"STOP THEM!" Sombra roared, "DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!"

Eight to nine pegasi Obsidian Guards spread their wings and quickly took to the skies with their weapons by their sides. All with a look of murder on their faces. Flash Sentry and his colleagues quickly took the skies as well and flew out of there like a bat out hell. Flying as fast as they could to escape capture. Flash Sentry fought against the blinding snow storm that ravaged the mountains with tears rolling down his eyes. Temporarily blinding him.

Storm, who wasn't the fastest flier, felt himself falling back as the wind pressed harder against him. His armor making it heavy to fly any faster. An Obsidian Guard caught up to the gray pegasus and slashed off one of his wings. Storm threw his head back and screamed in agony when he lost all feeling to his right wing as it disconnected from his body and fell into the white void below them. Storm found himself losing altitude and started to spiral downward with his blood trailing behind him. Another pegasus guard caught up to him and slashed off his other wing.

Flash Sentry and Wind Breaker listened helplessly to their comrades horrified and anguished screams as they grew softer and softer until only their own breathing was hears. Both pegasi flew faster. Pumping their wings the hardest they've ever done. Wind Breaker felt himself grow tired and started to slow down a bit.

"Don't you leave me by myself here!" Flash Sentry snapped. Something he rarely ever did. His eyes then widened in sheer horror when he witnessed a lance suddenly pierced the back of the light blue stallion's neck and exited through his throat. Wind Breaker's eyes widened in shock as he started to cough up blood. The pegasus that stabbed him yanked the lance right out and blood started to gush out. Flash Sentry screamed in horror before snapping his head away and pumped his his wings faster. Knowing that there was nothing he could do for him now. He didn't bother to look back and watch him be mercilessly stabbed and sliced until he started plummeting to the ground in a trail of blood.

Tears blinding his vision, Flash Sentry found it very hard to see. He blinked away his tears a few times. His vision cleared a bit, but it was still nothing but a jumbled mess of colors. He just kept flying with his eyes closed. Flying until he was sure they weren't following him. Flying until he was out of the mountains completely. Flying until he fell from exhaustion and crashed just outside of the Crystal Empire, where the other Canterlot Guards were at, and rendered unconscious.

The platoon he was with, however, were never heard from again.

**X.X**

**Ending was rushed. Sorry about that. I wanted to get this done before I had to go to bed for school tomorrow. Long story short, Flash Sentry will be in a coma for a while.**

**Fan: You got that right!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Warning: Suggestive themes **

**X.X**

To say that King Sombra was displeased when he learned that one of the Pegasi from the Royal Guard managed to escape is clearly an understatement. He wasn't displeased. He was _pissed_. Stomping back and forth in his bedroom while fuming about the possible outcome of the pegasus reaching Canterlot. And how it could ruin everything he's been planning for since he broke free of his icy prison. Twilight sat quietly on the bed while listening to her husband's ranting and curses.

It wasn't something new to her. He would eventually cool off in the end and tuck in for the night. But tonight, however, wouldn't end like that. The dark unicorn had been like this since after supper. Even as they changed out of their attire he ranted. Twilight wanted to comfort her husband in any way possible, but was afraid of getting yelled at or harmed. Although she knew he wouldn't do that to her. Which is why she kept her distance.

Sombra was huffing by the time he climbed into bed. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but immediately closed it when she saw the look in his eyes. Sombra payed no attention to his wife and rolled to his side; his back facing the young alicorn.

Twilight sighed. "Goodnight." she sighed softly.

Sombra merely grunted softly in return. Closing his eyes.

Twilight looked away sadly. An idea suddenly clicked in her head and she looked back to her husband. It was risky, but she had to at least try. With hesitation, she bent down and kissed his shoulder softly. When he didn't react violently, she trailed down his arm softly. Sombra opened his eyes when she was half way and looked over his shoulder slightly.

"Twilight." he muttered, "Can you stop? I'm not in the mood tonight."

Twilight merely gave him a mischievous giggle and repeated the same action. Sombra narrowed his eyes and rolled onto his back in hopes it would stop the now playful alicorn. He growled softly to himself when she straddled him. "Twilight." he said as calmly as he could without sounding aggressive, "Get _off _of me."

Twilight sighed heavily in defeat before she crawled off the Unicorns lap and layed back in her side. Back facing Sombra. Sombra's expression softened and he sighed heavily to himself. He rolled onto his right side and draped an arm over the alicorn and pulled her close. "I'm sorry..." he murmured as he nuzzled the back of her head. "I know you were only trying to help."

"I just hate seeing you angry..." Twilight whispered almost tearfully. Gripping the blanket tightly. She felt her husbands hot breath gently caress the fur on her cheek and pressed her back closer to his masculine chest.

"I know. I know..." Sombra whispered; comforting her in a gentle, loving voice. "I'm just stressed out by the fact that the Royal Guard could come marching in any day now. And..." he held Twilight tightly. Almost defensively as he growled softly. Flashing his pure white fangs dangerously. "I don't want to lose you."

Twilight smiled a softly. She rolled over until her muzzle was mere inches from Sombra's. "You won't lose me." she said softly as she ran a hoof up and down his chest. "They'll die before they even lay a single hoof on me."

Sombra chuckled and pressed a loving kiss on Twilight's soft lips. Twilight eagerly pressed back and allowed her husband's tongue to wrap around her's. Moaning in the kiss when she felt him brush his hoof against her flank. "I'll never let them take you." Sombra growled softly after they broke the kiss, "Never." He then kissed down her neck until he reached a spot on it. He bit down gently; sinking his teeth into her soft flesh and enjoying the sweet, almost sugary taste in her blood.

Twilight gasped sharply and wrapped her arms around her husbands neck. Moaning rather loudly. She felt his wet tongue gently lick the mark before he kissed it softly. She knew it was going to be there a while. But it didn't matter. She'd been marked by him many times before, but this was a reminder to others that she was _his _claim.

Sombra buried his face into her long mane and breathed in her raspberry scent. Murmuring loving words and promises that were enough to fill her with confidence and hope towards the future. She smiled tiredly and pressed her face against his neck. Her now heavy eyelids closing almost immediately as she fell into a deep sleep. Sombra quickly followed; still holding his beloved queen in his arms.

...

"Ya gonna be ok by yourself tonight?" Applejack asked the buffalo calf resting on a pile of pillows with a quilt blanket draped over her body. Little Strongheart adjusted herself slightly before bobbing her head.

"Yep! This quilt's really comfy, by the way." Strongheart added as she nuzzled the colorful wool.

Applejack smiled proudly. "My granny made that quilt." she said while standing on her hind legs; both hooves pressed against her hips in a superhero pose.

"Your granny's really talented."

"Thanks! I'll be sure to tell her that when I see her. Goodnight." Applejack said with a grin. Just as she turned to leave the barn, she heard Strongheart suddenly ask, "Where are your parents?" The Earth Pony just paused where she stood before she slowly looked over her shoulders towards the calf. She rarely ever talked about her parents. Most of the time it was her granny and big brother, Big Mclntosh, who took care of her and Apple Bloom. She tried hard not to think about the subject. Not since the train accident a few years back...

Silence lingered in the air for a few minutes before Strongheart suddenly got the picture and gave Applejack a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry." she whispered, "I-I didn't know..."

A sad smile appeared on Applejack's face and she gently patted Little Strongheart's head. "Ah, it's fine. Ya didn't even know to begin with. But now I have a question for YOU. Where are your parents?" During her last encounter with the buffalo, she didn't recall ever seeing Strongheart with her mother or father. Chief Thunderhooves certainly didn't look like her father.

"My parents are gone." Strongheart replied with a sad glint in her eyes. "Our herd ran into a nasty dust storm one year and I got separated from them. We searched everywhere for them, but in the end we had to accept the inevitable. "

Now it was Applejack's turn to give a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry to hear that." she said.

"It's alright. The herd took care of me after that. Or...they did..." Strongheart's voice trailed away and she sniffled. Applejack noticed tears beginning to appear in the calfs eyes. "I-I'm all alone now. My entire herd is gone and I'm all alone."

"Hey! Don't ya say that! Keep that little chin of your's up." Applejack said sternly. Putting up a tough smile. "You've got me and the gals! We'll take care of you until that herd you told us about returns!"

Little Strongheart sniffled before a small smile appeared on her face. Tears trickling down her cheeks. "T-thanks Applejack. Y-you have no how much this m-means to me." she then paused a bit before looking back up at the mare. "By the way, I hope your cousin is alright."

Applejack sighed softly. "Me too, Strongheart." she turned and placed her hoof on the barn door. "Me too..."

...

_Amber Leaf panted softly. Feeling the King's gentle caresses through her dull golden mane. Reaching down to her flank and stopping just above her cutie mark._

_"My slave..." he murmured languidly. Pleasure still lingering inside him from their little event. _

_"Sombra...please..." Amber Leaf whispered quietly to herself as tears trickled down her cheeks. "I know you're still in there. Please... You have to fight it... I know you can." _

_It seemed as though he didn't hear her; licking behind her ear softly as he continued to caress her mane. Nuzzling the back of her head and inhaling her wheat grain scent. Savoring it as he purred in pleasure. "My crystal slave..." he growled closely in her ear. Gently caressing her leg with his own. "Mine...mine...all mine..."_

_Amber let out a choked sob. "Sombra. I know you're still in there, somewhere. Please. You have to fight back. Fight it, Sombra!" The young mare suddenly felt something wet trail down her neck. She managed to move her head some and was surprised to see tears streaming down the king's normally gloating face. Yet he didn't seem to notice and proceeded to trail down her neck with soft kisses._

_"M-mine." his voice cracked. Clearly trying to resist the urge to cry. He looked into her eyes with sad, watery crimson ones. She saw a look in his eyes that clearly said "help me". "M-mine...A-Amber..." he pressed kisses up to her muzzle. He brushed his lips against her's. "I-I'm...s-sor..r-ry..."_

_"Oh, Sombra!" Amber wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. Breaking down. "I love you, too!" she sobbed, "I love you so much! I can never hate you when I know you're still in there..."_

_Sombra growled softly. But didn't push her away. He instead he pressed his face into her mane and allowed the rest of his tears to silently fall. "I...love...you...Amber..." he grunted before falling asleep in her arms. Amber Waves stroked the king's mane and placed a shaky kiss on his forehead before rubbing her cheek on it. _

_"You'll come back to your senses someday, Sombra." she whispered, "Even when that day comes...I will still love you..."_

A tear rolled down Amber Leaf's cheek as she slowly closed the trunk containing the red scarf Sombra had given her when they first met a thousand years. Despite what he'd done to her that night, it would be the last time he'd force her into his chambers. It was also the last time she saw the remnants of the _real _Sombra. The Sombra she once knew before the battle at the frozen lake. Before his shadow dragged him under while she was helpless to save him.

Normally she would be forbidden to keep any materials of her own, but she was recently removed from slavery and placed into spy training. She highly doubted it was because he remembered her. The reason why she spilled the entire can of beans about the resistance plan is because she knew there was no point in it. Sombra couldn't be defeated. Celestia and Luna were able to imprison him for a thousand years, but not defeat him. Now he nopony can stop him. Especially with his queen by his side.

Amber couldn't help but feel a bit jealous that he decided to choose a mare he barely even knew than her. But then again said mare is a unicorn turned alicorn. And the most feared mare in his entire empire. There was no hope of ever changing her back. He'd done a good job in breaking and "fixing" her. She could still remember her anguished screams with each nightmare Sombra shot at her everyday. Now the only screams she hears is the ones coming from one of the ponies captured during the raid in Appleloosa. Tough one, he is.

He was too good to be placed into slavery. Sombra wanted young, fit Stallions to be placed into his army. Whether by will or by force. Of course there were some who still resisted. Which would often end with them suffering the same torture Twilight had to endure for two whole months until she finally shattered. This has been going on for three weeks for the prisoner. By now she was used to hearing any sort of scream.

Amber slowly locked the buckles on her chest before she pushed it back underneath the bed given to her. It still felt odd sleeping in it. Which is why she got out just to go through some old things she was allowed to retrieve. Sighing softly she crawled back into bed and ignored the alien feeling she felt being in it before pulling the covers up.

It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

**X.X**

**Sorry for the short chapter. But better than no chapter. Took me a while to come up for something for this chapter. School's being a pain. Especially with an upcoming English assignment that might be assigned over the weekend. And a upcoming History and Spelling test, too.**

**I'll try to update soon. But thank you for your patience :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Rainbow Dash found herself alone once again. Alone and bored as she drifted lazily in the sky above Ponyville, which was bustling with activity. She hasn't been able to sleep good as of late. Often waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat or just unable to sleep entirely. She found it very annoying, honestly. What made matters worse is that she didn't have anypony to talk to. Rarity had something going on with Spike, Fluttershy was tending to her animals, and Applejack was with Little Strongheart. Scootaloo was too young to understand the problems she was going through, and she didn't want the filly to get involved.

The blue pegasus silently wished she had somepony she could go to just to get some things off her chest. She stared at the endless sea of blue above her silently. Blankly. As she looked up at the sky she thought of the brilliant shades of green and blue on Star Knight's mane. He looked young to be a guard. He also resembled Flash Sentry a bit. Even had the same smile. Something suddenly clicked in Dash's head and she slapped her forehead.

"Of course!" she gasped, "Star Knight! I can always talk to Star Knight!" The blue pegasus did a perfect back flip before she zoomed through the sky with a rainbow trailing behind her. Hopefully Star Knight and his group were still in Ponyville. After a few minutes of searching she found the stallion and his group just leaving The Hay Burger. She grinned and glided herself down for landing. "Star Knight!"

Star Knight turned away from his friends and smiled when he saw Rainbow Dash running up to him. "Hiya, Rainbow Dash." he said, "I'm surprised to see you again."

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled. "Yeah, well, I could really use somepony to talk to. My friends are kinda busy at the moment."

"Sure." he turned back to his friends, "I'll catch up with you guys later." The white stallion walked up to Rainbow Dash with a kind smile on his face. Rainbow Dash nodded before she turned around and unfolded her wings.

"Let's go for a flight."

Both Pegasi took to the sky. Fly side-by-side one another while the cool wind brushed against the fur on their faces. Dash sighed softly and managed to put up a small smile. Moving her eyes over to Star Knight, who kept his eyes forward with a smile still present on his face. She couldn't remember the last time she had a flight partner with her. Not since Gilda and their early days in Junior Speedsters flight camp.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Star Knight suddenly asked, snapping Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts.

"What? Oh." Rainbow Dash smiled sheepishly. Star Knight chuckled kindly. Dash smiled shyly and looked away a bit. "Well. It's about an old friend of mine. Remember when I was going to tell you why my friends and I don't go on adventures anymore?"

Rainbow Dash spent a good hour in the air with Star Knight. Explaining some of her adventures with Twilight Sparkle, and how their last adventure ended in disaster with her death. How she developed a deep hatred towards Sombra, and why she's so determined to have him captured or dead. By noon they landed in the Canterlot sculpture garden.

"So that's why you want Sombra's flank so badly." Star Knight said. Giving Rainbow Dash a sympathetic look.

"And I won't rest until that son of a bitch pays for what he's done to my friends. To Twilight's brother. To Little Strongheart."

Star Knight patted Rainbow Dash's back and gave her a lopsided smile. "You're a tough one, Rainbow Dash." he said, "I admire you for that. I don't think I've ever met a mare who's this strong."

Rainbow Dash smiled. Unaware of the faint blush that appeared on her face. Star Knight suddenly stopped walking when the two stepped underneath a large shadow. The stallion could only blink his eyes in pure awe by the stone statute standing before their eyes. It was a slender figure. But what made it strange was that it had a variety of different animal parts. A lion paw and eagle claw outstretched while the form was recoiled back with a look of horror on its face.

"Is this a draconequus statute?" Star Knight asked in awe as he approached the statute a bit. His mouth agape in wonder.

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash frowned at the statute when she stood beside the stallion.

"Look at how detailed it is! This is truly a work of art!" Star Knight placed his hoof on the statute and admired the smooth stone. "It looks like it could be real, too!"

Rainbow Dash bit her lips nervously. She left out the story of when she and her friends had first went up against Discord, and how it almost became their downfall. Now he was trapped in his stone prison where he belongs. She actually wondered if the draconequus could hear them right now? Would he have even cared if he found out Twilight was dead? Likely not. He is the God of Chaos after all.

Star Knight gave Rainbow Dash an excited grin. "This is amazing! My friends aren't going to believe this! I've read all about draconequus, but this the first time I've seen what they look like! This may be a statue, but holy cow!"

_If only you knew what this draconequus is capable of..., _Rainbow Dash knew she could tell him. But there wouldn't be a point since they wouldn't have to worry about him for a very long time. Rainbow Dash stared into the stone-frozen, horrified eyes of Discord. Glaring at them with nothing but contempt. _Well I hope you're happy, Discord. If you can hear my thoughts, I just outta let you know that Twilight Sparkle is dead. That's right. Dead. D-E-A-D. All because of that fucking King Sombra. You heard of him? Probably not. But it's thanks to him that one of my best friends is dead. So go ahead and rejoice. Oh, that's right, you can't. Because you're a fucking statue. _Rainbow Dash isn't always cruel to others. But Discord was an acception for today.

"Are you alright, Twi? You're awfully quiet."

"Hm? Oh. I was just thinking about something. That's all." Rainbow Dash gave him a wink.

A loud bell was suddenly heard echoing throughout all of Canterlot. Rainbow Dash and Star Knight turned their attentions over to a bell in Canterlot Castle and witnessed it ringing back and forth. A feeling of dread swept over the two with each "ring" they heard. The only time that bell was used is for a wedding or emergency...

"Something's not right." Rainbow Dash said gravely, "Princess Celestia never has that bell ring. There's no wedding today."

"It might be an emergency." Star Knight suggested. "Let's go check it out."

Both Pegasi spread their wings and took flight. Leaving the terrified statute of Discord behind.

...

Rainbow Dash and Star Knight landed a few feet from the castle doors when they spotted a crowd of ponies gathered around the steps. The two of them pushed their way through until they came upon the scene. Rainbow Dash stumbled back in horror when she recognized the griffon on the floor. Lieing motionless on a puddle of drying blood with a wide, horrified look in their eyes. Beak slightly agape and a large, open wound on their chest. Revealing broken ribs and a punctured heart. The wings on their back were crooked and bent while their head was twisted in an odd angle.

It was enough to cause the normally tough pegasus to slap her hoof over her mouth and cringe at the site.

"G-Gilda?"

...

Amber Leaf inhaled and exhaled slowly as she grew nearer to the Crystal Empire. Now home to some Canterlot Guards who decided to take up base there until their search through this area was over. She tightened the red scarf around her neck before mentally going through the plan:

1. Get found by guards

2. Get taken to Canterlot

3. Infiltrate Canterlot castle

4. Retrieve important information

5. Get that information back to King Sombra

6. DON'T BLOW YOUR COVER.

She swallowed hard and placed both of her hooves over her chest. Sombra had choosen her for this task for a reason. After weeks of training, this was it. All she had to do is play the role of a helpless, lost escapee and try to act as scared and innocent as possible.

_I can do this, _she thought to herself_, I am doing this for my king. For Sombra. Even though I will now always fear him, I still love him. _

Amber Leaf put up a brave face and nodded to herself before stepping out of her hiding spot behind a large rock and approached the Empire. Sombra's crimson scarf the only thing comforting her as she imagined his warm, kind arms wrapped around her. It didn't take long until she was spotted by a scouting party and taken to the Crystal Castle for debriefing.

"What's your name, mare?" the current commander asked in a stern, but gentle voice.

"A-Amber Leaf." she added a whimper for effect. She managed to put up a successful act during her half-hour debriefing. The Canterlot Guards fell for her story even. After that they took her to the medical bay they had in one of the upper levels of the castle for a health evaluation.

"Please take a seat here." the nurse said while gesturing to the empty bed near the wall.

Amber Leaf silently did what she was told and trotted over. She climbed and sat up in bed; back slightly arched. An unconscious stallion she saw from the corner of her eye suddenly caught her attention. She then felt herself tense. "W-what's wrong with him?" she asked. Pointing a hoof over to the stallion.

"He's in a coma." the nurse replied gravely as he brought out the necessary tools used for a checkup. "His platoon is currently missing. We fear that they must've gotten lost in the storm or worse."

Amber Leaf blinked and looked back towards the resting stallion. Lying on his back with a bandage wrapped tightly around his skull. A life support system was beside his bed. He looked so peaceful. It made Amber Leaf's eye twitch in disgust. She couldn't remember the last time she was able to sleep peacefully. An idea suddenly clicked in her mind and she grinned ever so slightly. Narrowing her eyes over to the stallion.

_Now would be a good time to kill him off, _she thought_, that way we'd have one less problem to worry about. _

"Um... Excuse me?" she asked with fake innocence, "M-may I have a glass of water? I-I'm so very thirsty right now."

The nurse gave her a kind, sad smile before nodding. "Of course. Celestia knows what kind of horrors a poor little thing like you had to endure. I'll be right back." The mare trotted out of the room.

Amber Leaf giggled slightly before she jumped off the bed and slowly approached the sleeping stallion. She couldn't help but smile a small, wicked smile as she stared at his peaceful expression. Sombra would be very pleased when he finds out. She slowly trailed her eyes over to the slim, wirelike, tube connected to his wrist before moving her eyes over to the machine itself. It was the only thing helping him stay alive. Judging by how thick the bandage around his head, and his slow brain waves on the monitor, he is in pretty bad condition. All she had to do was pull the wire and it would be a quick death for him.

Just as she slowly reached for the wire she heard hoofsteps outside the door and swiftly pulled her hoof away just as the nurse stepped in with a glass of water. Using her magic to carry it.

"Oh? What are you doing?" she asked when she noticed the Crystal Pony by Flash Sentry's bed.

"I-I'm sorry." Amber Leaf said shakely. "I-I was only curious. Is he going to be alright?"

The unicorn nurse smiled and places the cup of water down. "I appreciate your concern, dear. But you shouldn't be near him. Come. It's time for your checkup."

Amber Leaf gave her a weak smile before trotting back to her bed. Giving Flash Sentry a sour look when the nurse had her back turned.

...

Star Knight looked at the dead griffon and then at Twilight with a quizzical look. "You knew this griffon?" he asked.

Rainbow Dash swallowed. "Y-yeah. She's an old ex-friend of mine from Junior Speedsters flight camp." she then turned to the nearest guard and asked, "How did she get here?"

"She just...suddenly fell from the sky." the guard managed to say before swallowing down his lunch. Not use to seeing such gore.

"How could this happen?" Rainbow Dash whispered to herself. Staring into the dead eyes of her former friend before looking away in disgust. Gilda may have been a bitch to her friends, but she wouldn't wish _this _upon her. She couldn't stand the revolting stench coming from the body and walked away. Coughing when she accidentally inhaled it.

"Are you alright?" Star Knight asked worriedly.

"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash coughed a bit. Feeling herself close to vomiting. But she managed to keep her lunch down.

Star Knight rubbed her back in comfort; making sure she didn't watch the guards carry Gilda's wrecked corpse away. Two Pegasi suddenly landed in front of them. Both with dire looks on their faces. "Star Knight. We've received a distress call from Cloudsdale. It's currently being attacked."

"What!?" Rainbow Dash cried. Looking at both of the guards in complete shock.

"A survivor that managed to escape informed us. Princess Celestia has ordered any available Pegasi guards in Canterlot to take arms and go to Cloudsdale immediately."

Star Knight nodded. "Right. I'll head over to the armory right now and get situated." The three pegasi guards exchanged salutes before the two took off. Star Knight looked down at his friend sadly. "Sorry, Dash. But duty calls."

"I'm coming with you." Rainbow Dash said firmly.

Star Knight bit his bottom lip nervously before shaking his head. "Sorry, Dash. But you have to be in the Canterlot Royal Guard if you want to come. Plus it isn't your job to go."

Rainbow Dash narrowed her moderate cerise eyes at the stallion and brought her face close to his. Enough to cause Star Knight to recoil back slightly and take a step away from the other pegasus as she glared at him firmly. Looking straight into his lime green eyes, she spoke said, "Listen, you. Cloudsdale is my _home_, and I'm not going to let some goody two-shoes Royal Guard tell me not to go! So you can either take me along, or I'll go myself!" Rainbow Dash had spoken with such ferocity that it even shocked her.

Star Knight blinked a few times before he closed his eyes and slowly bobbed his head in defeat. "Alright." he sighed. "Just...try not to get hurt."

Rainbow Dash nodded and winked at the stallion. "Don't worry! A mare like me knows how to take care of themself!"

**X.X**

**Blaaaaaaaaaaaah. Sorry if this chapter was a bit bad. But hey! Discord's in it! And who doesn't like Discord? :D**

**Fan: Thank you :3**

**Nightmare the Dragon: Well... Normally I don't accept OCs. Sorry :(. I'm afraid I won't be able to get them into character. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Warning: Violence, blood and death.**

**X.X**

The weather seemed oddly calm during the flight to Cloudsdale. The group of golden armored pegasus flew silently amongst the white puffy clouds that dominated the sky. Rainbow Dash stayed close to Star Knight, who had a spear attached to his left side and was pointed towards the sky. Rainbow Dash eyed the sharp blade in silently curiosity before she turned her attention straight ahead. She nibbled on her bottom lip nervously when she noticed that the air suddenly grew thicker. The clouds around them grew dark and gray; a storm was literally brewing.

"Cloudsdale is up ahead, sir!" a guard called from ahead.

The Commander of the small squadron, Wind Runner, nodded. "We'll be arriving Cloudsdale shortly, colts! Be prepared for anything that might be thrown at us and pump those wings faster!"

"Yes sir!" the stallions said in unison.

"I've never, really, been to Cloudsdale." Star Knight whispered. Speaking to her for the first time since they left. It surprised Rainbow Dash a bit.

"You'd probably like it there." Rainbow Dash replied in a whisper. "It's literally a city in the sky. It's practically one big giant cloud with structures on it."

Star Knight gave Dash a small smile. "Sounds neat. Have you ever been to Rainbow Fa-"

_CLAP!_

Rainbow Dash let out a shocked scream from the loud clap of thunder above them. The clouds above them grew harder and thicker; making it hard to see clearly. Flashes of lightning lit up the dark sky every few minutes. Reflecting off of the golden arm that covered the stallions bodies. Star Knight and a few other Pegasi staggered a bit in their flight from the bright flashes.

"Are you alright?" Rainbow Dash asked. Gently grabbing his arm to steady him.

"Y-yeah." Star Knight gave her a shaky smile. "I-I'm just not use to flying in storms."

"It's alright." Rainbow Dash assured him with a kind smile. "I'm not use to flying in storms, either. Yet I'm in charge of the weather in Ponyville." The two of them laughed quietly before being silenced by another clap of thunder.

"Two minutes until Cloudsdale!" Wind Runner yelled, "Weapons at the ready!"

The guards lowered their golden and white spears. All pointing forward. Hot white lightning lit up the darkness around them, causing the tips to flash along with the armor. Star Knight tensed slightly; Rainbow Dash gave his arm an assuring squeeze.

"Five!"

The stallions and mare tensed.

"Four!"

A red glow started to materialize in front of them. The scent of smoke filling their nostrils.

"Three!"

The red glow grew brighter. The lighting around them grew more intense. A few of the stallions around them shuddered in fear.

"Two!"

Screaming. The sound of a screaming was heard. Along with the sound of crackling fire. There were some parts in Cloudsdale that isn't made of cloud. Rainbow Dash grew anxious as they neared the red light. Sweat beading her forehead.

"One!"

Rainbow Dash wasn't prepared for what she saw: Cloudsdale was on fire. The structures that weren't made of cloud were up in flames. Flashes of black were seen coming from the armored Pegasi that were currently over-running the city with torches and weapons stained with crimson. The Cloudosseum and other structures she knew were engulfed in flames. Thick black smoke polluted the air around them, making it hard to breathe. The smoke stung Rainbow Dash's eyes and it caused her to shed a few tears.

She coughed.

Meanwhile, Black Fire had just finished watching the last carriage containing all of the captured Pegasi residents disappear in the dark storm clouds before hearing one of his stallions call out.

"THE ROYAL GUARDS ARE HERE!"

_Shit, _Black Fire thought bitterly when he spotted the golden specks coming closer. He snarled and raised his halberds high. "Obsidian Guard!" he roared, "DESTROY THEM!"Armored crystal Pegasi raised their weapons and took off from the remaining buildings that still stood. All charging towards the Canterlot Royal Guards with a look of murder on their faces.

"Brace yourselves!" Wind Runner screamed.

"Dash! Stay beside me!" Star Knight roared. Rainbow Dash nodded and held onto his arm tightly just as both sides collided. Rainbow Dash felt her world spin out of control as the sound of colliding metal and war screams filled her ears. She felt something warm and wet suddenly sprinkle a bit on her cheek. She looked up and noticed that Star Knight had stabbed an Obsidian Guard through his throat. The Crystal Pony gagged and gasped before plummeting downward. Disappearing into the black abyss below.

Rainbow Dash held onto her friend. Closing her eyes tightly and desperately tried to block out the noise around her. Weapons clashed and thunder roared above them as lightning bathed all of them in its white light. She thought she heard Star Knight yell something to her, but she didn't hear it. She then felt something warm hit her head and she snapped her eyes open. When she look up she felt something warm and wet suddenly hit her left eye and she released her grip on Star Knight.

"Dash!" Star Knight gasped.

Rainbow Dash screamed when she released that the substance that struck her eye was blood. The pegasus desperately attempted to rub the blood out. Her vision to her left was slightly blurred and a tinge red. She started to go a bit dizzy and was just about to loose altitude when she saw a blurry figure suddenly grab her and hold her in mid-air.

"Dash! It's okay! I'm here!" Star Knight yelled over the thunder and cries.

Rainbow Dash looked up at the stallion in a daze before her eyes widened when she saw the black blur of an Obsidian Guard coming down from behind. Sword outstretched and ready to kill. "LOOK OUT!" she screamed. Star Knight looked over his shoulder and moved just as the other pegasus came down. He screamed when he felt the blade suddenly hit his wing. Rainbow Dash watched in sheer horror as her vision cleared just as Star Knight's wing was detached from his body. It wasn't a very clean process and blood splattered a bit on both of them.

Rainbow Dash reached forward and grabbed the wing before grabbing Star Knight, who was now struggling to stay in the air. "Star!" she grunted as she struggled to hold onto the stallion. "Don't let go! I'm going to have to take you to Cloudsdale!"

"H-Hurry." Star Knight croaked as he felt himself start to lose consciousness.

Rainbow Dash suddenly felt a bit unsure of herself when she looked over to the ruined city. Mustering all of the courage she had left, she made a nose dive towards the city. Clinging onto both Star Knight and his severed wing. The armor that covered Star Knight added a little extra weight; which allowed them to dive a bit faster. Star Knight looked over his shoulder weakly and spotted three Obsidian Guards suddenly dive after them.

"I-Incoming." he said.

Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder quickly before turning her attention back to the city. She pumped her wings forward as soon as they reached the right height and quickly flew into the city. Dodging falling debris and burning buildings faster than she's ever done before. Even faster then she did on the day she received her cutie mark. She made a left and went down a narrow alley. Enough to only fit two flying Pegasi at a time. She hears the guards curse loudly behind her and she couldn't but chuckle a bit in relief. She spotted a stable looking building ahead, away from the battle and fire, and took Star Knight there.

Never would Rainbow Dash have thought she would be grateful to be out of the sky. As gently as she could, she placed Star Knight on the floor. The stallion flinched slightly at the cold marble before relaxing. Rainbow Dash gently placed his severed wing beside him before collapsing on the floor on her back. Laying spread-eagle and gazing silently at the ceiling while panting heavily.

"I-I was thinking of trying out for the Equestria Games." she panted. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind."

Star Knight chuckled softly. "You should come to Rainbow Falls. We have the Equestria Games tryouts there." He turned his head over to Rainbow Dash and smiled. "I think you'd do great since you were able to outrun those guards."

"Thanks." Rainbow Dash said. Smiling back. "I'll consider it." she said before standing up on all fours. "Sweet Celestia..." she murmured as she examined the wound where Star Knight's wing once was. It was still bleeding, but not as bad as before. "L-let me see if I can find something to stop the bleeding." Although she already doubted that she would be able to find anything of use.

"O...kay..." Star Knight murmured as he started to loose consciousness.

"Hey! Stay with me, now! I'll find something!" Rainbow Dash said frantically before she went around the room looking for any sort of cloth. She knew she had to patch up that wound soon. Otherwise Star Knight would bleed to death. And his wing... She shuddered from the image of watching the blade slice through his wing like it was nothing. She couldn't bare the thought if something like that were to happen to her own wings.

After a few minutes of searching she found a sheet of table cloth in the closet. She pulled out the sheet and immediately ran back to Star Knight, who was still fighting to stay awake. "This might help a bit." Rainbow Dash said as she tore the fabric in half and placed it over the wound. By applying some pressure she was able to slow the bleeding down a bit. At least the cloth would protect the wound from infection. "How are you hanging up?" she asked.

"A-alright... I guess..." Star Knight murmured. "W...what's going to happen to my wing?"

Rainbow Dash bit her lip nervously as she moved her eyes over to the severed wing beside her. It is possible for the wing to be reattached to his body. But it might be a long while until he would be able to fly again. _This is all my fault, _she thought bitterly. If she hadn't been such a stubborn bitch and come along, then maybe Star Knight wouldn't have lost his wing. If only she wasn't such a stubborn filly...

"I'm sorry..." she said quietly.

Star Knight opened his eyes. "What...do you mean? Why are you sorry?" he asked.

"Maybe if I hadn't came along, you wouldn't have lost your wing..."

Star Knight shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. Stop beating yourself up like this."

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out. Instead she silently continued to apply pressure on the wound. Switching clothes once she felt blood begin to soak through. After a few minutes she realized that Star Knight was silent. "Star?" she asked worriedly. She was beginning to fear the worse when she saw his chest rising and lowering slightly. She breathed a sigh of relief.

_He must've fallen asleep_, she thought. There was a loud clap of thunder and she jumped slightly. She inched herself a bit closer to Star Knight. Just to find some kind of comfort. She then heard what sounded like heavy rainfall. Sure enough, when she approached the door, it was raining heavily out. She still heard the battle overhead and payed no attention to it. She stepped out and allowed the rain to wash away the blood that was on her. She blinked when the water hit her eyes and the blood that covered one of them was washed away.

She heard grunting behind her and she turned around to find Star Knight just regaining consciousness after his quick nap. "Star?" she called once she stepped back in the house.

Star Knight cracked his eyes open. They suddenly widened with terror and he struggled to speak. "B-BEHIND YOU!" he screamed.

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder and gasped in sheer horror when she saw the Obsidian Guard standing in the doorway like a sentient shadow. A flash of lightning reflected off of the black armor and revealed the outline of the crystal pegasus. It's halberds was raised high, and would've struck Rainbow Dash if Star Knight hadn't spotted him walking in. Dash screamed and jumped to the side just as the blade came swinging down and struck the floor instead.

The pegasus grunted and cursed as he struggled to pull his weapon out of the hard marble. Dash immediately ran over to Star Knight's side and watched fearfully.

"H-have you ever wielded a weapon?" Star Knight grunted.

"No!" Rainbow Dash gasped. "Er...does a lance count as one?" She remembered having to joust against Fluttershy back in the Crystal Empire. Just to raise the spirits of the resident Crystal Ponies while Twilight searched for the Crystal Heart.

"I-it counts." The wounded stallion gestured with his hoof to the spear that was still attached to the side of his armor. "Use that."

"B-but how the hay do I wield that!?"

The Obsidian Guard let out a maniacal laugh once he pulled his weapon out before giving both ponies a death stare. A malicious grin present on his face.

"JUST USE IT!" Star Knight snapped.

Rainbow Dash swallowed and ran over to his left to detach the spear. She nearly toppled forward when she attempted to carry it in her mouth. The damn thing was a bit too heavy for her. When she finally managed to balance herself with the weapon the Obsidian pegasus was already galloping towards them in full speed. Rainbow Dash swung the spear and shielded herself and Star Knight just as the halberds came swinging down.

The guard growled in frustration before pulling his halberds away. Only to attempt to slice her legs off. Rainbow Dash jumped at the right minute before thrusting her weapon forward. The guard easily dodged and swung his weapon down once more. Rainbow Dash dodged and tackled the guard. Causing him to drop his weapon. The two fought over the spear until Rainbow Dash managed to kick his exposed stomach and crawl away. The guard quickly regained his senses and picked up his halberd. The two circled one another slowly. Like two lions preparing to fight.

Rainbow Dash managed to up a tough face while keeping her eyes steady on the guard, who casually swept his tail against the floor. Was he trying to taunt her? Rainbow Dash wasn't sure. But she knew she couldn't lose focus. Star Knight struggled to stand where he was. He would be halfway up before falling back down. He had lost so much blood from his injury. Rainbow Dash was determined to save her new friend.

The guard suddenly attacked; taking Rainbow Dash by surprise, causing her to drop her weapon and fall flat on her back. She shuddered when the guard loomed over her and gave her a gloating look. She saw a flash of lust and her eyes widened in sheer horror. Was he going to do what she thinks he's going to do? For a pony to commit such a vile act to another...

"D-don't y-you t-touch HER!" Star Knight roared when he suddenly rammed himself into the guards side. Causing him to gasp in surprise before bucking the white stallion off him.

Rainbow Dash saw the opportunity and rammed the spear into the back of his right leg. The Crystal Pony threw his head back and howled in agony before falling on one knee. He snapped his head over his shoulder and gave Rainbow Dash a dark glare. The blue pegasus swallowed and pulled the spear out. She barely had time to react when the stallion suddenly tackled her and pinned her to the cold floor.

"My..." he hissed, "Such a lovely pegasus we have here."

_Nononononononono, _Rainbow Dash thought as she frantically squirmed in the other Pegasi's grip. _Not happening. This is NOT happening to me!_

"N-no." Star Knight whispered as he started to lose consciousness once more. "D-Dash..."

The guard grinned wickedly as he slowly trailed his hoof down to grip her flank. That's when Rainbow Dash snapped. She screamed louder then she's ever done before and kicked the guard back with all her might. The guard was shocked by the sudden overwhelming strength the blue pegasus had. Rainbow Dash picked up his halberd and screamed like a banshee. Swinging the weapon down repeatedly and ignoring the guards pleas and apologies. Slicing off his right leg. Partially dismembering his left arm. Large, open wound was present on his stomach. Chunks of meat and intestine were sticking out with each swing.

Rainbow Dash then dropped the halberd and picked up the spear next. Repeatedly stabbing the guards face while screaming tearfully. Droplets of blood mixed with her tears as she continued stabbing the stallion. By then he was already dead. When she stopped, his face was completely unrecognizable. Nothing but a mutilated mess. Dropped her weapon and stared at the corpse before her. Lying in a large pool of blood.

She did this. She had just killed another pony. Something she thought she would never do in a million years. She had unleashed all of her rage, sorrow, and fear upon this single stallion who attempted to violate and kill her. Stared at her dim reflection in the pool and noticed the blotches of blood covering her face and the upper portion of her body. She would never forgive herself; even if it was for self defense.

_W-what have I done? _she thought sorrowfully, _What happened to the days when innocence mattered?_

She heard hoofsteps behind her, but didn't acknowledge them. She was busy staring at the pony she personally snuffed. Star Knight stood by Dash's side. Shocked by the site before him. Completely forgetting that he had lost a wing. He turned to the young mare and gently touched her face. "D-Dash?" he asked gently.

Rainbow Dash shakely turned her attention over to Star Knight. Eyes wide and face covered in blood. Mane slightly messy due to the struggle. It looked like a blood stained rainbow. "S-Star..." she said shakely. She embraced him. Wrapping her arms around his neck and crying. Star Knight, a bit surprised, hugged her back weakly. Slowly rubbing her back.

"H-hey." he said gently. "I-It's alright. I-it's over now. D-don't cry. Please."

Rainbow Dash only wept in reply.

**X.X**

**This...was a LONG chapter.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Note: Before I move on with the fic, I would like to say a few words. This fic was originally supposed to be a love story of sorts about Sombra and Twilight taking over Equestria and such. But the more I write this the more I start to trail away from that and lead to something else. As Markiplier would say, "I've made a horrible error."**

**What do you guys think? Aside from all the bad grammar and writing errors that you might see here and there because I'm too lazy to proofread my work before putting it up, is this story good? Should I continue it this way? Because the ideas I got for this are big. Yes, Twilight will still be evil. But this story is going to take a LOT of turns here and there.**

**Let me know. I would really appreciate it.**

**X.X**

_Rainbow Dash found herself in a familiar black void once again. Instead of feeling afraid, she felt rather calm. She was standing in the middle of the black abyss before she heard a familiar voice call her name. This was a recurring dream. Whenever she turned to see who it was, she would wake up. But tonight, she didn't._

_Standing a few feet from her a was pale, light grayish mulberry coated unicorn with a pair of large, moderate violet eyes. A medium length mane that was an array of brilliant purple and blue colors trailed down her neck; perfectly trimmed bangs covering most of her forehead. Rainbow Dash immediately felt her heart flutter with joy as tears began to well up her eyes._

_"Twilight!" she cried, happily galloping over to her friend. The joy was short lived, however, when Rainbow Dash noticed the look in her friends eyes and skidded to a stop. "Twi?" she asked._

_Twilight Sparkle had a terrified, anguished look in her eyes as tears flowed silently down her cheeks. The unicorn looked beaten up. As though she had gone through multiple fights at the same time. She let out a sob. "Save me, Dashy." she pleaded sadly. A dark mist suddenly materialized behind her; growing larger and larger. A deep, malicious laughter echoed throughout the dark void that surrounded them. The same mist suddenly wrapped itself tightly around Twilight and pulled the mare in. Her screams growing dimmer and dimmer into the dark, shadowy fog._

_"TWILIGHT!" Rainbow Dash cried. Thrusting her hoof out in an attempt to reach her._

In a blur of blue, Rainbow Dash shot herself up in bed. Panting frantically as sweat rolled down her forehead. Hoof placed over her rapidly beating heart as it pounded against her chest. The hospital room was a midnight blue color. Moonlight leaked through the closed blinds and lit up the room in a dim white glow. Rainbow Dash slowly turned her head over to the other bed on her right. Star Knight was sleeping peacefully with his arm draped over his belly.

Rainbow Dash sighed softly and layed back in bed. Aside from the humming coming from the machines, the room was silent. The pegasus fixed her eyes at the ceiling in a silent gaze. Hoping that sleep would come back to reclaim her very soon. She could really use it. She didn't want to remember the battle in Cloudsdale. Star Knight wasn't the only one who was severely wounded during the battle. She rolled onto her side and hugged herself tightly.

"Dash?"

Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder and noticed Star Knight sitting up. Although it was only a faint silhouette. The pegasus had his wing sewn back on. But it would be a long time until he would be able to fly again. Let alone function that wing. He was lucky enough to even have his wing reattached. It was rare to see a pegasus with only one wing. It was actually considered an embarrassment to some.

"Star." she replied softly. Sitting up herself and rubbing the side of her face tiredly. "I'm sorry. Did I do something to wake you?"

"Nah." Star Knight shook his head. "This isn't the first time I've woken up in the middle of the night for no reason. It's a habit of mine."

Rainbow Dash smiled tiredly. "How's your wing? Can you move it?"

Star Knight attempted to move the stitched back wing before cringing when he felt a sharp pain run down his back. "Nope. Not yet." he grunted. "What about you? How are you feeling?"

Rainbow Dash didn't reply right away. She debated on whether or not she should tell him the truth. Her encounter with the Obsidian Guard still haunted her like a ghost. Just thinking about it was enough to make her want to cry. It wasn't because of his attempts to kill her and Star Knight, but because of what he was going to do to her first. No pony had ever thought of violating her. And to think that that Guard had once been a nervous, depressed Crystal Pony. At least she still had her pride, and her friends.

"Not so good." she sighed softly. Gripping the blanket tightly. "B-but I'll start improving soon. Don't worry about me. You need to worry about your wing."

Star Knight smiled sleepily. "But what if I _choose _to worry about you, Dash?" he said.

Rainbow Dash snapped her head over to the white stallion and blinked. "W-what?" she asked with a faint blush on her blue face.

"I care about the well-being of my friends, Dash." Star Knight said, "But you're...special, to me. I don't know what, but you're not like most mares I've met. You might think this is cliche and all, but there's something special about you."

Rainbow Dash would've frowned if it wasn't Star Knight saying this to her. Yes, it did sound cliche. But the way Star Knight said it wasn't in a romantic way. Instead he said it to her as though they were old friends. That's what made her believe Star Knight was telling the truth. She let out a loud yawn and felt her eyes become droopy.

"I think it's best if we continue this in the morning." Star Knight chuckled softly. Yawning himself.

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash agreed.

Both Pegasi layed back in their beds. Pulling the sheets closer and having their backs face one another. "Hey, Star?" Rainbow Dash suddenly whispered, "How did you get your cutie mark?" His cutie mark was that of a neon blue star with a sword running down the middle. It always made her curious as to how he could've earned it.

Her only reply was a soft snore.

...

Princess Celestia sat on her throne. An uneasy look on her face as she went through the reports about the damage in Cloudsdale. There were very few resident Pegasi that remained in the ruins of the cloud city. All of which were too in shock to speak at the time. It had only been three days since the incident and reports were coming in like wildfire. A pile of read scrolls were stacked on one side of her throne while a pile of unread scrolls were stacked on the other.

Luna stepped into the throne room and was a bit surprised to find her older sister still up. Even the guards were asleep by now. "Sister." she said as she walked up to her, "You should rest now. Cloudsdale isn't going anywhere."

Celestia sighed softly as she used her magic to roll up the scroll she was currently reading and stood up from her throne. "You're right, sister." she agreed, "But I cannot rest while the remaining ponies of Cloudsdale suffer like this."

"It's as though Sombra's addiction for crystals has grown tremendously." Luna said darkly, "Going as far as to kidnap an entire city and using them as slaves as well. He must be running out of Crystal Ponies."

"Either that. Or something more." Celestia added. She then walked over to one of the large arched window and gazed out of it. Stars blanketed the night sky as Luna's moon casted its white light upon the landscape below. Luna walked over silently and stood by her sister's side; looking out the window as well. "There's a storm coming, sister." Celestia said without taking her eyes away from the window.

"That's what you said the last time Sombra caused amok in Equestria." Luna said quietly.

"We _must_ find out where Sombra is at. He's become a much a more bigger threat than I originally thought. But I will not let my ignorance get the better of me." Celestia said firmly. Th last time she was foolish was during her clash with Sombra. Oh, how ignorant she'd been to think she could resist his dark magic. She couldn't have been more wrong. Because of her ignorance, they lost half their stallions and a few civilians in the Empire. The victory was rather a hollow one.

"Perhaps there's a way we could send in a spy?" Luna chimed thoughtfully, "An agent, perhaps? Place them in a town where Sombra is likely to go after next, or something like that."

Celestia took in all that her sister before gasping. Luna was about to ask what was wrong before, in a sudden surprise, found herself in a tight embrace with her sister. "Luna! You are a genius!" Celestia spoke with enthusiasm she hasn't spoken in for a very long time.

Luna blinked. While she happily accepted being called a genius, she was starting to find it very hard to breath all of a sudden. Celestia released her sister from her bear hug and sighed happily for the first time since Twilight's death. "It's so obvious." she whispered, "Why didn't I think of it before?" Celestia turned back to her sister with a serious look in her eyes. Multi-colored mane flowing gently behind her. "It's a very high risk, and I'm not one to send a pony into such danger. But if these civilian attacks continue, then we have no choice. We must send in a unicorn who is well versed in magic. Someone who is willing to, if necessary, sacrifice themself for the future of Equestria."

Luna said nothing for a full minute before nodding. "I agree, sister."

"I am calling in a meeting for all available unicorns who are no more then eighteen years of age living in both Ponyville and Canterlot. I shall send them all letters tonight."

"But sister. You should _really _get some sleep. Here. I'll write the letters for you and have them delivered."

Celestia smiled and nuzzled her little sister. "Thank you, Luna." she said. Luna happily nuzzled back.

"But I must ask you, sister, why a unicorn for this task?"

"That way, if their cover is blown, they could hopefully teleport out. Or at least defend themselves in a way." Celestia replied before she closed the throne room doors quietly behind her.

...

A large array of different colored unicorns had gathered outside of Canterlot Castle the next morning. All of whom were either in their late teens or mid-adulthood.

"What do you think this is about?" a pink unicorn asked with a small giggle.

"Don't. All I read is that Celestia called forth a meeting for all of the unicorns in the area." a mint green unicorn replied.

Rarity was sitting in the fifth row. She let out a small yawn before looking at the many unicorns around her chatting. When she received the letter, she knew she had to go. Something inside told her that this meeting could be important. More important than designing a dress for any sort of Canterlot Wedding. She just hoped Spike would be able to hold the fort while she's gone.

Spike.

The baby dragons name brought a fond smile to her face. Spike has been a huge help around the boutique ever since she took him in. He did, after all, love to help others in any way he could. She often admired him for his loyalty towards Twilight whenever she saw them together. Then again, the unicorn was his mother of sorts. Spike had cried the first few weeks since Twilight's funeral. Normally she would've been annoyed and scold him for waking her up in the middle of the night. Instead she hugged him close and cried with him.

The doors to the balcony above the castle doors suddenly opened and everypony present fell silent as the princesses of Canterlot stepped onto the balcony. Each pony present bowed their heads respectfully before looking back up at her.

"Thank you fillies and gentlecolts for coming today." Celestia said loudly, "Today I am here to discuss a matter that requires you and your abilities. Who here has knowledge of magic?" Everypony present raised their hooves and Celestia chuckled softly to herself. "Of course. Who here studies magic?"

Half of the unicorns present suddenly lowered their hooves.

"Who here is well versed in magic?"

A couple more unicorns lowered their hooves; leaving only a handful still raising their hooves. Rarity included. Not that she was into the study of magic like Twilight had been, it was something she often did when she had nothing better to do at night.

Celestia mentally counted six unicorns with their hooves still up and nodded. "Excellent. Will you six please come forth." The six ponies, Rarity included, stood from their seats and stood on the bridge. Craning their heads back in order to look at Celestia. "Everyone else, you may leave. Thank you for your time."

The unicorns gave the princesses a confused expression. Even Luna gave her sister a quizzical look. "Trust me." Celestia mouthed wordlessly. Luna blinked before nodding understandingly. As soon as the unicorns were gone, and only the six remained, Celestia suddenly glided down from the balcony and landed in front of them. Luna landing beside her.

"What I am going to tell you three is absolutely TOP secret." Celestia said sternly. Looking each in the eye. "I'm sure you six are aware of what happened in Cloudsdale the other day, yes?"

The six nodded.

"My sister and I have come to believe there is something more to this then we originally thought. Which is why we've come to an agreement to send in some spies."

A blue unicorn suddenly shot her hoof into the air and waved it frantically. Trying to catch the princesses attention. Celestia sighed softly to herself. "Yes, Trixie?" she asked.

"What does this have to do with us, Princess Celestia?" the cocky unicorn asked.

"She was just getting there." Luna replied.

Celestia nodded. "Yes. The reason why we've choosen unicorns is based on the fear of capture. A unicorns horn and magic are their best weapons to defend themselves in battle. If strong enough, they could simply teleport to safety if their cover is blown. This is where you six come in."

Rarity swallowed. Her throat dry with anxiety. As if reading her mind, Celestia added, "This isn't something I will force upon you. The choice is yours if you wish to volunteer. This is your chance to back down. But when you leave, you must NEVER tell anypony what you heard today."

In a matter of seconds, four of the six ponies turned around and left without question. Clearly not wanting to participate in such a dangerous mission. Rarity found herself standing beside the Trixie.

"This mission will be a dangerous one." Celestia warned. "I do not want to put your lives on the line, but are you willing to serve in the quest to stop Sombra once and for all?"

...

"Are you CRAZY?!" Spike screamed, causing Rarity to flinch.

She knew he was going to react like this. But she had to tell him. "I'm sorry, Spike. But my decision is final: I'm going to become a spy for the Royal Guard. I already said I would."

Spike trembled on the spot. His tiny claws curled into fists as angry tears began to swell in his eyes. Trailing down his chubby cheeks. "D-didn't you even think about me before you said 'yes'?"

"Yes. I did." Rarity replied. The white unicorn then turned back to her bag and, by using her magic, proceeded to back some of her belongings. "I'm going to be staying in Canterlot for my training. I'm going to need you to run the shop while I'm gone. Sweetie Belle will help you out. She's been helping me around since she could walk."

"..."

"... Spike?" Rarity turned around to find that the baby dragon had his back turned to her. Rarity sighed softly and approached him. "Spike...don't be mad..." she gently placed her hoof on his shoulder. She was taken by surprise when Spike suddenly wrapped his little arms around her neck in a tight hug. She felt warm tears running down his cheeks as he cried.

"I...I just don't want to lose you like how I lost Twilight!" Spike sobbed, "I love you, Rarity! More than a friend!"

"Spike..." Rarity hugged the baby dragon back. Feeling her own tears threatening to fall. "Spike...I need you to stay strong. I'm doing this for Twi. Stay strong, Spike. For me. Do it for me."

Spike pulled away and sniffed. Wiping his nose with his wrist. "O-okay..."

Rarity smiled. "That's my Spikey-poo." she said as she patted his head affectionately.

**X.X**

**Sorry. I posted this chapter a little too early. There were still things I needed to add. **

**PrincessMidnightMoon: It might be a while for that. I want to take things slow for this story. Just to add some kind of build-up. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Warning: Lovemaking between two evil ponies :/**

**X.X**

Sombra felt something shift in his arms. Moving slightly in their sleep while mumbling nonsense to themself. The gray stallion cracked an eye open halfway and lowered it down to look at the dark lavender alicorn curled up in his arms. Face buried deeply in his masculine chest; her soft, lilting voice was muffled as she murmured quietly in her sleep. Feeling satisfied that everything was fine, Sombra closed his eye and waited for sleep to claim him once again.

A full minute hadn't even past before he felt his mate shift in his hold once again. He opened both eyes this time and noticed that she was whimpering quietly to herself with a look of distress plastered on her face. Sombra focused his left ear and tried to decipher what she was mumbling to herself. Unfortunately, it was too muffled to even make out.

"Twilight..." he murmured, shaking the alicorn gently. "Twilight, love, wake up."

Twilight's whimpers grew louder and she shifted again unconsciously in his hold. Pulling her face away from his chest to reveal she was sweating. Beads of cold sweat trailed down her face as she started to hyperventilate softly.

Sombra cocked a "brow" up slightly before he realized she was having a nightmare. Something she hasn't had since she broke. He shook her a bit more. Gripping her shoulders firmly, but gently. "Twilight. Wake up." he said gruffly; still in his half-asleep state. He dug his hooves into the young alicorns shoulder. It was enough to cause her to stir from her sleep.

"Sombra?" she asked softly. Her eyes open halfway and droopy.

"You're awake." the king murmured before he gently nuzzled his mate.

Twilight smiled and nuzzled back. "I had a nightmare..." she said quietly. Sounding like filly talking to her parents after a nightmare. She snuggled closer to her king and pressed her face into his neck.

"What was it about, Twilight?" Sombra whispered, "Tell me."

Twilight gripped her husband's shoulders tightly and pulled away from his neck to face him. Dark violet eyes surrounded in green while whisps of purple smoke trailed from the corners. She narrowed them and spoke in a low, bitter whisper. "_Them_." she hissed. "My so-called 'friends' and 'family'."

Sombra's eyes narrowed as well before he proceeded to nibble Twilight's ear in an attempt to calm her. "What were they doing?" he asked while nibbling.

Twilight felt a chill as she felt him bite down on her ear lightly. Not enough to cause any pain, but enough to at least give her the shivers. "Hurting me." she said softly, "Like they've always done." The alicorn shot her head up and gave her husband an expression akin to a pleading one. "When can I kill them, Sombra?" she asked with a hint of impatience, "I want to punish them for what they did to me back in the Crystal Empire. I want them to feel the pain I've felt. I want to feel their warm blood on my hooves." she punctuated with a snarl.

"Patience, Twilight." Sombra simply replied as he bit down on his Queen's ear. Causing her to gasp and cling onto him. The dark stallion smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips before whispering, "You'll have your chance; just as I will have mine. You're not the only one who wants retribution."

"I know." Twilight sighed. Laying her head back on his chest and drawing small circles with her hoof. "You want the princesses to pay for trapping you in ice for a thousand years."

Sombra growled softly. "Yes." he replied, "But if we want to have our revenge to begin with, we mustn't act so hasty." He brought his face a bit closer to Twilight's and nudged her muzzle slightly. "Why else didn't Discord have his revenge when he was free? He had a thousand years to think of one. If he can, that is." This earned him a small giggle from the alicorn and smiled. "Or anypony for that matter. Revenge requires _patience_, my sweet Twilight."

A small smile appeared on Twilight's face and she gave her husband a half-lidded gaze as she calmed down. "You're right." she said, "But I can't wait for the day to arrive. I'm curious as to see how they would react once they see me." Twilight giggled to herself as the images appeared in her mind: they would give her shocked, hurt expressions on their pitiful faces. Oh, she will enjoy the part where they would just _beg _for her to snap out of it. All of their useless pleading and such. She was going to savor every moment of it.

"Neither can I." Sombra added in a husky voice before he pressed his lips against Twilight's once again. The alicorn eagerly kissed back as she wrapped one leg around his waist to pull him closer. Sombra felt the petite body in his arms suddenly start to warm up and he chuckled. He knew what she wanted. It's been a while since they've last had a moment alone like this. Even though it was very late at night, it matter to them.

"Sombra-" Twilight was cut off with another kiss.

"_Shhh_." Sombra crooned in a low, soft voice enough to give anyone goosebumps. "No need to talk, my love, I'll make sure all of your bad dreams go away."

Twilight blinked curiously before smirking. She wiggled out of his arms and splayed herself out on the sheets. Running a hoof down her side with a seductive look before stopping on her hip. Just inches from her cutie mark. Sombra growled softly before moving to hover just above her. Crimson irises clouded with lust as he went to make his move. Taking both of her legs and wrapping them around his waist, Sombra eased his hardened member inside her wet passage. Letting out a long, pleased sigh.

Twilight moaned quietly. Purring like a happy cat as she pressed herself up to plant a kiss on her king's lips. Sombra pulled himself out before gently pressing back in. Groaning as he felt her walls enclose around him with each thrust. He pumped his member faster with each moan she made. Pressing their lips together in a deep, passionate kiss as their tongues danced. When they reached climax in the end they both cried out each other's name. Sombra groaned in delight once he pumped his seed into the young alicorn before falling beside her.

Both were panting for air. Their manes and fur damp with sweat. Sombra pulled Twilight into an embrace and placed a loving kiss on her lips. "I love you..." he panted. Twilight smiled tiredly and nuzzled her face into his chest. Breathing in his scent before exhaling softly. She felt him brush his hoof over her belly and she gripped it gently. "Soon." she whispered. Sombra smiled and buried his face in her silky mane. Holding her close as sleep claimed them once more.

...

Luna entered the throne room and was surprised to find her sister pacing back and forth. Looking rather distressed. "Sister?" she asked as she walked up to her.

Celestia stopped and raised her head. "Luna." she said.

"Why are you still awake?" the younger alicorn asked. "Do you have any idea what time it is? It's nearly dawn! Have you been up all night pacing back and forth like a mad stallion?" Luna demanded an answer from her usually calm, collected older sister.

Celestia sighed and looked at her sister with a anxious look. "Rarity and Trixie will begin their training in a few hours." she said.

Luna cocked her "brow". "And?" she asked.

"We are still unaware of Sombra's whereabouts. We have neither a hint or clue as to where he could be. We already have stallions posted at the Crystal Empire in case he returns. Which asks the question: why did he abandoned the Empire he's been trying to get?"

Luna blinked and pondered on the question a bit. "That is a good question, sister." Luna agreed. "He was able to claim the Crystal Empire once more and destroy the Crystal Heart. And..." she hesitated, "Murder Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor..."

Celestia tensed at the mentioning of her beloved students name, but managed to hide her uneasiness. "Sombra is much more clever than before." she said gravely.

"A thousand years is a very long time to plan for revenge. If I say so myself." Luna added. Shuddering when she remembered her days as Nightmare Moon. It was a lonely thousand years up in the moon, and she prayed she wouldn't become Nightmare Moon again.

The doors to the throne room suddenly opened and a guard stepped in. "Princesses." he said, removing his helmet respectfully and bowing his head.

"Yes. What is it?" Celestia asked patiently.

"One of our squadrons in the Crystal Empire has gone missing during a search in the Crystal Mountains."

"What?" Celestia asked in a shocked tone while Luna gasped softly.

"There was only one survivor: Flash Sentry. But he is currently in a coma induced state. We fear that it might be a while until he wakes up. He is currently in stable condition."

Celestia nodded. "Good." she said. That saves one family from having to go through the horrible news that one of their loved ones is likely not going to be coming home any time soon.

"But there is good news, however." the guard added with a sheepish smile. "A Crystal Pony has managed to escape from King Sombra's mines."

Celestia's eyes flashed with hope as she exchanged surprised looks with her sister. "There is?" she asked, "Where are they?"

"She's just outside the door, Princess."

"Well bring her in!" Luna snapped excitedly before her sister could even say a word. Celestia shot her sister a glare of disapproval before turning back to the guard.

The guard bowed his head before turning to the opened doors. Gesturing with his hoof to the young mare standing just outside. Amber Leaf nervously entered the throne room with her head lowered and ears flat against her pale purple mane. Once she stood before the two, she bowed respectfully. "G-greetings, p-princesses." she said.

"Greetings to you too, Crystal Pony." Celestia replied in a kind voice before she and her sister bowed their heads as well. "What is your name, pony?" she asked next.

"Amber... Amber Leaf..."

"What happened to you, Amber?" Luna asked, "Where did Sombra take you and the other Crystal Ponies?"

Amber bit her bottom lip nervously. Luckily she was prepared for this sort of question. "I...I don't know." she said. Adding a whimper to sound more anxious. "I...I can't remember. I just... I just..." she forced tears out of her eyes. Something she practiced with during her training.

Luna and Celestia exchanged worried glances. Celestia gave the Crystal Pony a sympathetic look. "You poor thing." she said, "Just what did Sombra do to you?"

Amber Leaf only whimpered. Curving her face down until the tip of her snout was near the carpeted floor. From there she snickered quietly. Just how gullible can these princesses get? And to think that _these _were the alicorn sisters who managed to end Discord's reign of chaos and end Sombra's rule over the Crystal Empire.

"It must've been a long journey for you." Celestia said gently. "Perhaps it's time that you get some rest. We will talk when you're ready."

Amber looked up at the elegant alicorn with watery eyes and sniffled. "Y-yes, Princess..."

Celestia smiled and gestured for the guard who brought her here to come forth. "Take her to one of the guest chambers for the night." she said.

The guard bowed his head and gently nudged the Crystal Pony to follow him. Amber Leaf nodded and followed the guard. As soon as the doors were closed, Luna turned to her sister. "That bastard's gone too far!" she snapped. Stomping her hoof on the floor. "Did you see how terrible condition she was in? She looks like she could just kill herself in any moment!"

"I know." Celestia replied. Her voice quivering. Never has she seen a pony look so depressed or malnourished. "It's going to be a while before she can talk. Let's give her some rest. Perhaps if we're lucky, she might be able to remember the location where Sombra is at."

"And if she doesn't?"

Celestia tensed and turned towards the nearest window. Thin streaks of orange and pink appeared in the horizon; the start of a new day. "They we'll have to go with our second option: place them someplace that's likely to be the next target of a raid."

**X.X**

**I made an error with Amber's name. The pony from the animation I saw is named Amber Leaf. Not Amber Waves. So I had to go back and fix that.**

**Thank you to: Fan, My Demonic Heart and Soul, PrincessMidnightMoon, and Nightmare the Dragon for leaving your opinions on the story. Glad you guys like it :3! And it really helped me know that some readers actually do like how this is going. **

**Fan: Don't worry, it'll remain a Sombra/Twilight fic. And I agree. There just isn't enough SombraTwi fics around! **

**My Demonic Heart and Soul: Thanks!**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: You're welcome :3**

**Nightmare the Dragon: Glad you like it! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Warning: Violence**

**X.X**

_Three months later..._

Black Fire galloped down the hall leading to the throne room at full speed. His armor clanging against each other as he pumped his legs as fast as he possibly could. Running by guards and receive confused looks until he finally skidded to a halt in front of the throne room doors. Taking moment to catch his breath before stepping inside. The scarlet pegasus felt his face suddenly blaze with embarrassment from the site before him: Twilight was straddled on her king's lap. Arms wrapped around his neck and body pressed close to his chest. Sombra had one hoof on the small of her back while the other was slowly caressing her flank. Twilight pulled away from their kiss to let out a soft moan.

Black Fire felt his legs begin to wobble and he did his best to stand his ground. He cleared his voice loudly. Catching the attention of both ponies. Twilight immediately pulled away from the kiss and her cheeks blazed once she saw the captain standing there. She was about to jump off Sombra's lap before the king gently held her down and pressed their lips against each other once more to finish their kiss. Black Fire looked away slightly. Flattening his ears against his skull. When the two finally broke their kiss, both Twilight and Black Fire were blazing red. If Black Fire wasn't red enough already.

"May we help you, Black Fire?" Sombra asked casually. Acting as though nothing happened. Normally he would've reprimanded the pony for walking in on a moment between him and his queen. This wasn't the first time they'd done this outside of their chambers.

Black Fire swallowed. Shoving the images away before speaking. "W-we've received a message." he said, bringing out the neatly rolled up scroll.

"Oh?" Sombra cocked his "brow" curiously. "From who?"

"The Changeling Queen. Chrysalis."

Twilight suddenly tensed at the name. She bit down on her tongue hard enough not to gasp. Instead she merely remained silent and acted as though she knew nothing about the Queen. But bitter memories of the wedding in Canterlot came rushing back like a storm.

Using his magic, Sombra unrolled the scroll and read what it said silently to himself. Twilight watched her king with a blank expression. Noticing the occasional change of look in his eyes. One minute he looked displeased. The next he looked a bit shocked. After a full five minutes of reading, Sombra suddenly let out a chuckle as he rolled the scroll back up with his magic.

"She wishes to meet with us in the Hayseed Swamps."

"When?" Twilight asked as she tilted her head curiously to the side.

"As soon as we can make it." The dark king chortled to himself as he walked up to his captain and handed the scroll back to him. "Send her a reply." Sombra said, "Tell her my Queen and I will be there this evening."

Black Fire looked hesitant. "But, my liege, are you sure about this? These are Changelings, after all." he said.

"Are you _questioning _me, Captain?" Sombra asked slowly. Narrowing his crimson eyes towards the red pegasus as green started to replace the white that surrounded the irises. Black Fire gulped and quickly shook his head.

"N-no, my liege."

"Good!" Sombra gave him a smile and patted his head. "That's what I expect from my favorite Sky Captain." he cooed.

Black Fire said nothing. Shuddering at the seemingly caring pats before turning around to leave.

"Ah! Which reminds me." Sombra turned back to his captain, who stopped to look back at him as well. "Are the troops ready for their little "visit" to Dodge Junction?"

Black Fire smirked and nodded. "Yes."

"And how is our newly promoted Earth Pony captain feeling about this?"

"He's just as eager as the other stallions. He just wants to get in the action already."

Sombra laughed darkly. "Good, good. Have the unicorns transport them at noon. Remember: just outside of the town. We want to take them all by surprise like last time. By the way. Any word from our little spy?"

"Nothing of importance." Black Fire replied.

Sombra nodded and gestured with his hoof for him to be on his way. Black Fire bowed deeply before trotting out of the throne room with the scroll clenched in his sharp teeth. As soon as the doors slammed shut, Twilight slipped out of her throne and approached her king. Nuzzling his mane.

"I don't trust the Changeling Queen." she murmured.

"Hm? And why is that?"

Twilight pulled away from his mane and her eyes glowed green. "Let's just say we have a..._history _together."

...

The train came to a screeching halt at the Dodge Junction Train Station. Sand and dust trailing behind it and briefly fogging up the platform before it cleared. The doors hissed open and ponies casually trotted out with their luggage. Rarity stepped off the train and stretched her back legs until they cracked.

"Ah!" Applejack jumped out of the train and breathed in the desert air. "Nothing like that fresh, country air!" the Earth Pony said with loud enthusiasm. Spreading her arms out to embrace the warm sunlight bathing the desert town.

"I'll say!" a voice behind them coughed. Trixie stepped out of the train coughing like a mad dog. "I'm not used to being in deserts!"

Rarity and Applejack exchanged annoyed expressions. Trixie had been a pain in the flank during the entire trip. It was a wonder as to why the blue unicorn even volunteered to become a spy for the Royal Guard. AJ merely rolled her eyes before turning to the blue unicorn. "You'll get use to it." she said.

"'You'll get use to it'." Trixie mimicked annoyingly before shooting the Earth Pony a glare. "I didn't go through three month of hellish training to spend another month in some damn, old western town!"

AJ suddenly shot the unicorn a dangerous glare. Lips curled back to reveal pure white teeth as she tightened her jaw. Nostrils flaring, she pressed her face to Trixie's. "What did you just say?" she snapped angrily.

"Oh, sweet Celestia of the damn Sun!" Rarity groaned before shoving herself in the middle and separating the two. "You're both acting like little fillies fighting over candy!"

"Hmph!" Trixie held her head high and marched past them like nobody's business. Only to accidentally trip and land face-first on the ground. It was enough to cause both Rarity and Applejack to snicker as the blue unicorn helped herself up. Cursing Celestia and Equestria while dusting herself.

"So why did Celestia send y'all to Dodge Junction in the first place?" Applejack asked as the trio made their way through the town. Rarity opened her mouth to reply, only to be cut off by Trixie.

"Something about working on our spy skills and stuff."

AJ frowned, but decided not to make a big deal out of it. "Thanks for coming with us to Dodge Junction, by the way." Rarity said.

"Not a problem!" AJ replied proudly. "I needed to get away from the farm anyways."

"How's Strongheart?"

"Doin' great, actually!" Applejack said happily. "Apple Bloom and her little friends even welcomed her to the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

"Really? Even if she's not a pony?"

"Mm hm!"

"Well that's awfully kind of them."

"Yup! I'm proud of my little sister for doing that. Always welcoming others with open arms. Just like she did with Bab Seed. Speaking of Bab Seed, she's gonna be comin' over real soon for another visit to Ponyville."

"That's wonderful!" Rarity smiled. "Does Apple Bloom and the others know?"

That's when Applejack snickered before giving her friend a mischievous wink. "Nope. I was goin' to surprise them."

Trixie, who clearly showed no interest in what they were talking about, suddenly stopped when she noticed a speck in the sky. She wasn't able to make out its shape, but it was dark. First it was one. Then two. Then three. They were all showing up at frightening pace. The blue unicorn stopped in her tracks as she kept her eyes on the sky. A dark, foreboding feeling suddenly kicking in. Rarity and Applejack stopped when they noticed this and walked up to her.

"What's wrong, Trix?" Applejack asked, "Trix?" The Earth Pony waved her hoof in front of the unicorns eyes; only to receive no reaction whatsoever. "Hey! I'm talking to you here! I've just had about enough of your bullshit today!"

"AJ..." Rarity suddenly had her eyes on the sky as well. Tugging her friend's shoulder as she snapped insults and curses in Trixie's face.

"What?"

Trixie pointed a shaky hoof to the sky in front of them. Eyes widened with a terror she's never seen in the blue unicorn before. Not since the incident with Ursa Minor. Applejack looked around and noticed that everypony else was looking up at the sky as well. Some with horror. Others with confusion.

"What in Equestria's name are those?" the Earth Pony murmured to herself.

"TAKE COVER!" somepony suddenly screamed.

"Huh?" Applejack barely had time to react when she suddenly felt Rarity grab hold of her hoof and pulled her away from one of the buildings she was standing by. In a split second, a stampede of frightened ponies came rushing out as the building was engulfed in flames. The armored Pegasi above them were dropping live torches like bombs all around the place.

"We have to hide!" Trixie screeched. Her dark grayish violet eyes widening with pure fear.

The trio frantically looked around for any sort of structure that wasn't on fire. "There!" Rarity yelled, pointing a hoof to a lonely shack underneath a dead tree. "Hurry!" AJ yelled before the trio frantically galloped over to the shack. Pumping their legs as fast as they could while keep their heads down to avoid getting hit by any debris. Rarity was the first to make it; quickly opening the door and jumping in. Followed by AJ. Trixie was the last to enter. Jumping in and crashing into Applejack's arms and causing the both of them to fall against the back wall.

"Celestia damn it, Trixie!" Applejack hissed as she pushed the unicorn off.

"Well sor-ry." Trixie hissed back as she dusted herself.

"Ssh!" Rarity hushed the both of them as she peeked out a small hole on the door. Watching the destruction take place.

"What's goin' on?" Applejack asked as she leaned forward to get a peek herself.

Rarity swallowed. "C-chaos. And not the Discord kind." she said.

"W-what are we going to do?" Trixie asked in full panic mode. Breathing rapidly as she huddled herself in the corner. "W-we have to get out of here! W-we have to teleport back to Canterlot and alert the princesses!"

"And leave AJ here?" Rarity said. Narrowing her eyes at the blue unicorn. "We're not strong enough to teleport any pony with us. We can't just leave AJ here for dead! And besides." Rarity suddenly pressed her face against Trixie's and spoke in a low, serious voice. "Remember what Celestia told us."

Trixie blinked before frowning when she remembered their mission. "Oh. Right." she sighed.

Applejack, who was unaware of their real reason for coming to Dodge Junction, cocked her head to the left curiously. "Watcha both talkin' 'bout over there? Don't leave me in the dark, here!"

Rarity turned back to her friend and opened her mouth to say something, only to snap it shut when she realized something wasn't right. "Do you guys hear that?" she asked. The three ponies remained silent before Trixie gave the other unicorn an annoyed frown.

"I don't hear shit." she said.

Rarity nodded. "That's the point." she said ominously, "_Silence_. Pure. Dead. Silence." There was no screaming. No burning wood. Just nothing but the sound of their beating hearts and the gentle wind outside. The trio then jumped in surprise when they heard a shout coming from outside. Breaking the brief silence.

Applejack slowly lowered her head down to peek out hole herself. "Looks like them Pegasi are gone." she said, "But now there's a bunch of armored Earth Ponies and Unicorns."

"What are they doing?" Rarity asked.

"Looks like they're- wait a minute." Applejack lifted her head up and backed away from the door.

"What? What's wrong?" Trixie squeaked as she felt a burning sense of fear inside her. Pressing her body even deeper into the corner until she was all cramped up.

"Three of 'em is coming this way." Applejack said shakely. "We need to crouch down and stay quiet so they won't have to check in here."

Both Rarity and Applejack quickly retreated into the darkest spot they could find in the small shack. Trixie quickly joined them and the two huddled up in one big pile. Breathing in through their noses as quietly as they could to prevent getting any attention from the approaching stallions. Trixie slapped both of her hooves over her muzzle to keep herself from whimpering loudly. Tightened her jaw nervously while Applejack bit down on her lip. The sound of armored hooves grew closer along with the eerie clanging of armor. The trio felt their bodies tense when the noises grew closer and closer.

Trixie closed her eyes tightly and whimpered softly against her hooves while Rarity swallowed her's down. Applejack felt sweat start to roll down her face as she kept her eyes on the door. Just one noise and it would be all over for them. Something suddenly covered the hole on the door. They were just outside the shack.

"Should we check inside?" a gruff voice asked. "There could be some inside."

A snort was heard. "For what? Who in their right mind would want to risk hiding in this old piece of shit." the stallion kicked the wall of the shack. Causing the trio inside to tense even tighter than before.

"Maybe they want us to think they're hiding in there? You may never know, Night Knight." the first voice growled.

"Stop trying to sound like a smartass, Buck Wood." Night Knight huffed back. Grinning wickedly at the Appleloosa Earth Pony.

"Enough!" a third, familiar voice barked. Sounding more serious and authoritative than the other two that was heard. The stallion stomped his hoof on the ground and narrowed his eyes at the two. Night Knight merely yawned casually.

"Lighten up, Captain." the blue Crystal Pony mumbled to himself. There was a sudden gasp of shock before he was suddenly slammed against the wall by the other stallion. Armored hoof pressing tightly against his exposed neck as he struggled to breathe.

"You got something to say, Night Knight?" the captain asked in a slow, menacing voice. Eyes blazing with hate and anger.

"N-no, sir." the Crystal Pony whimpered before he was released.

Meanwhile inside, Trixie suddenly felt a tickling sensation in her nose. She frantically fought back the urge to sneeze while Applejack and Rarity gave her panicked looks. Without warning, she suddenly let out a sneeze that sounded more like a mouse squeak. The voices outside suddenly fell silent and both Rarity and Applejack shot Trixie a glare.

"Sorry!" the blue unicorn mouthed. Glaring back at them.

There was a full minute of long, agonizing silence. Both Applejack and Rarity knew that they were still outside of the shack. Probably preparing to surprise them by kicking down the door and snatching them up. Applejack boldly crawled forward and stood in front of the door; preparing to pounce on anypony who was about to enter. As soon as the shack door suddenly swung open, tackled the stallion to the ground. Night Knight and Buck Wood were about to go aid their captain before they were shot with a deadly glare.

"Forget me! Go in and bring out any others!" he snapped coldly as he wrestled with Applejack on the ground.

It wasn't long until AJ heard Trixie screaming as Buck Wood dragged her out of the shack after clamping the chains around her neck while Night Knight dragged out a resisting Rarity. "These chains do NOT look good on me!" she snapped as she was dragged along.

"Aaaack!" Applejack grunted when she was kicked off and crashed against the dead tree. She groaned in pain while narrowing her eyes at the battle-ready stallion as he stood in a fighting stance. Nostrils flaring with dangerous hate and anger. Applejack ignored the pain at her side and stood in a fighting pose as well. The two made eye contact as they glared at one another. A tumbleweed gently floated in the open space between them. "Hyaaaaaaaaa!" Applejack screamed when she suddenly rammed herself into the stallion.

The captain grunted in surprise as he fell to the ground. His helmet slipped off, revealing brilliant gamboge locks with amber highlights, and fell beside him. The stallion stood with his back facing AJ. He coughed out some dirt and blood before slowly turning his head over to the young mare. Wiping a streak of blood off the corner of his mouth as he narrowed his blazing, once brilliant, pistachio eyes at her.

It felt as though time itself came to a complete halt as soon as Applejack saw the face behind the helmet. Her heart dropped to her stomach while her legs began to wobble. Tears brimming her eyes as she struggled to say a name she hasn't said since the incident in Appleloosa.

"B-Braeburn?"

**X.X**

**DUN dun DUN DUN!**

**Lusaphira: All those questions will be answered soon, my friend. ;)**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Here's your new chapter! XD**

**Shade the Dark Latios: Glad you like it! **

**Fan: Thankies :3**

**jojo90ation: Thanks! (I'm a girl, btw XD)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Warning: Violence and implied slash (F/F)**

**X.X**

Applejack screamed in surprise when she felt her cousin ram himself into her. Knocking her off her hooves. Applejack looked up at the golden stallion with tears coursing down her face. "B-Braeburn! It's me! Cousin Applejack! Don't you recognize me?" Braeburn roared with rage as he slammed both his front hooves down. Applejack gasped and quickly rolled to the side.

"Braeburn! Stop it! It's Applejack! Cousin Applejack! Remember what happened in Appleloosa two years ago?" Applejack pleaded to the corrupted stallion. She mentally questioned herself if this was really her cousin. Aside from the longer mane and slightly muscular body, he had the same eyes and voice. There was no question about it. This _is _her cousin.

"Quit stallin', mare!" Braeburn snapped. His voice dripping with venom.

"Quit stall-..." Applejack shakely got back on all fours and glared tearfully at her cousin. "What is WRONG with you!?" she screamed. "I'm your cousin Applejack! Get it through your thick skull, will ya? Why are you with those ponies? Why are you acting like this? Why are you dressed like that? And what the fucking hell happened to you these past months!"

Braeburn didn't reply. Instead he charged the confused mare at full speed. Intending on a breaking a bone or two. Applejack quickly jumped out of the way and watched him ram into the dead tree instead. Braeburn howled in agony as blood trailed down his face.

"Brae..." Applejack stared at her cousin as he turned back to face her. Not once in her life would she see her cousin with blood running down his face. Braeburn was never the sort who liked to use violence. Let alone do something to hurt another pony. He was a charming, loving, hardworking stallion who did what he could for the community. He actually hated having to use violence on anything; believing that it wouldn't solve any problems. But now, here he is wearing black battle armor with blood running down his face and a look in his eyes that clearly said "bloody murder".

"Shut up and fight!" Braeburn screamed before started to charge his cousin head on.

"Brae..." Applejack slowly shook her head in denial.

Braeburn ran faster.

"It doesn't have to be like this..." Tears ran down the mare's face silently.

Braeburn licked his teeth in anticipation as he grew closer.

"Cousin...Braeburn..."

Applejack barely had time to react when she felt the stallion suddenly come crashing in against her body. With a force possibly stronger than Big Macintosh, Braeburn rammed his cousin into the dead tree. Its branches shook and a couple dead, wrinkled leaves came floating down lazily. Applejack was laying on her side. Eyes closed and motionless. Braeburn panted as he stared at his cousins body. He nudged her with his hoof before assuring himself that she wouldn't try anything foolish once he turns his back on her.

He walked over to his helmet and placed it back on his head. Casually walking back to town without giving Applejack a second glance. Never seeing the lone tear that streaked down her face. By the time he returned to the square, all of the residents were cramped together after being shoved into a cart big enough to fit an entire small village

"Is that everypony?" Braeburn asked his stallions in an authoritative voice, and not in the jolly one everypony loved.

"Yes, sir!" the stallions replied.

Trixie whimpered and huddled closely to Rarity, who was busy staring at Braeburn in both horror and disgust. This wasn't the Braeburn she remembered from her visit to Appleloosa. The Braeburn she knew was this jolly young stallion who was obsessed with saying Appleloosa really long. She was beginning to wish he'd do that right now. The way he spoke was enough to send a shiver down her spine. And where is Applejack? What did he do to his cousin.

Braeburn flashed a grin. But I wasn't the warm, friendly grin he was known for. This one was sinister and foreboding. "Good." he purred. "Now let's get the hell out of here."

In a sudden flash of magic, the ponies were gone. Applejack opened one eye halfway to make sure they were gone before shakely getting back on her hooves. Fresh tears mixing with the dirt on her face as she sadly trotted back to town. Or...what was left of it. By now everything was nothing but charred ruins with not a single sign of life to be found. The only evidence of the attackers ever being there was the flag waving against the wind.

Applejack sat in the train station with her head down. Not even caring if her hat suddenly slipped off and fell beside her. She whimpered quietly as more tears coursed down. She closed her eyes when she heard the train whistle in the distance.

...

Rainbow Dash stared at the endless blue sky without blinking. Sitting underneath a tree in the shade while listening to the gentle breeze of the wind soothe her nerves. Her wing twitched slightly when she heard something pressing against the lush green grass behind her.

"Dash?"

Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder slightly and was a bit surprised when she was greeted by a light brilliant gamboge pegasus filly looking up at her worriedly with big grayish purple eyes.

"Oh. Hey, Squirt." Rainbow Dash said fondly. She scooted to her left a bit to make room for the small filly to sit. Scootaloo trotted over and simply "plopped" herself down. "What's the matter? I thought you were hanging out with your friends."

Scootaloo shook her head. "Sweetie Belle is helping Spike out at the shop; while Apple Bloom and her family are waiting for AJ at the train station. Strongheart's with 'em, too." The filly then smiled. "I like her, Strongheart, she's really cool to hang out with. Is it true that you weren't able to keep up with her when you first met?"

Rainbow blinked and looked away slightly embarrassment. She clearly remembered their first encounter as though it happened yesterday. "Er...yeah. Something like that." Rainbow Dash lied partially. Not wanting to admit to her biggest fan about the whole thing. Even though Strongheart probably told her what happened from her perspective.

Scootaloo giggled to herself when she noticed the small blush on her face. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

The blue pegasus sighed with relief. "Thanks."

Scootaloo smiled her cute little smile before turning her attention up to the sky. A soft, dreamy look in her eyes. "Some day...I'm gonna soar through the clouds." she vowed softly.

"You're getting there. Rainbow Dash said as she gently rubbed her back. "Soon."

"Dash? May I ask you something?" Scootaloo suddenly sounded a bit hesitant.

"Sure. What is it?" Rainbow Dash replied. She perked her ears up when she noticed a small blush appearing on the filly's face. Scootaloo layed flat on her belly and made small circles on the grass.

"Do you...have a crush? You know... On that _special _pony?

Rainbow Dash gave the filly a quizzical look. Narrowing her eyes slightly. "I did... Once..." she sighed softly. "But why this all of a sudden? Is there some colt you like?"

Scootaloo's face suddenly grew redder and she pushed herself up so that she was sitting on her flank once more. "Actually... Um... It's not a colt..." The pegasus filly swallowed nervously. Her throat dry. "Is it normally for a mare to have a crush on...another mare?"

Rainbow Dash said nothing in her return. Simply staring at the young pegasus with a dumbfounded look on her blue face. The lush green leaves rustling gently in the wind as it filled the silent gap between them. For a split second, Rainbow Dash saw an image of herself in Scootaloo. A memory suddenly bubbling up from the depths of her mind.

_It was a hot summers day in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash was sitting on a beach chair by the lake with a pair of black shades shielding her eyes from the sun's harsh rays. _

_"Aw, damn it!" a voice cursed._

_Rainbow Dash lifted her shades up slightly and noticed Twilight Sparkle standing on the cobblestone path a few feet from her. Her horn glowing a bright color as she gathered her books up with her magic. A frustrated look plastered on her face. Rainbow Dash suddenly felt that overwhelming feeling she's felt since the day she first looked into the unicorns eyes._

_"So many books and so little time! How am I going to ace Celestia's test if I don't study hard enough!" Twilight sighed softly. "Oh, Spike. Why must you make this day the day you help Rarity out in the shop?"_

_"Umm...hey, Twi." Rainbow Dash said nervously. _

_"Huh? Oh. Hey, Dash." Twilight replied. Sighing to herself as she picked up another book and stacked it above the others. "Is there something I can help you with?"_

_"Nah." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I just came over to see if you needed any help."_

_A smiled appeared on Twilight's face. Rainbow Dash felt herself begin to shake slightly. "I would love that. Thank you." the purple unicorn said._

_Rainbow Dash smiled sheepishly. "What are friends for?"_

_Twilight giggled. She had just made Twilight Sparkle giggle. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but grin victoriously to herself. The blue pegasus helped carry some books as she followed Twilight back to her home. Once inside, she took note at how messy the place was. Spell books were lying open all over the place while papers littered the floor. _

_"You can just placed those books over there." Twilight said, gesturing with her hoof over to a spot in the corner. _

_Rainbow Dash nodded before walking over and setting the books down. "What's with you and all these books?" she asked._

_"I'm a bookworm." Twilight replied causally. Having been asked that question a million times before. She looked over her shoulder and gave Rainbow Dash a smirk. "I'm actually studying for a test next month."_

_"Next month? But that's not until another twenty four days!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. _

_"I know. But I like to be prepared." Twilight Sparkle said before turning back to her book. "But again, thanks for the help. I really appreciate it, Dash."_

_Rainbow Dash smiled and rubbed the back of her head. Nervous for what she was about to ask her next. "Um...you wanna...head out for lunch? I know this really great place in town we could go to if you'd like..."_

_This caught Twilight's interest and she turned to face her once more. "What kind of place?" she asked._

_"It's more of a fast food kind of place." Rainbow Dash replied, "But you'll like it if you give it a chance."_

_"Hmm..." Twilight had a pencil in her hoof and she was tapping her chin with it. Finally, she gave Rainbow Dash a smile and said, "Sure. Since I'm gonna be in Ponyville for a while."_

_Rainbow Dash grinned happily. "Cool. Let's get going, then."_

As the memory faded away, Rainbow Dash turned back to the filly laying beside her and gave her a small smile. "No. It's not." she admitted. "But...don't let it bother you. If you love somepony, you love somepony. The best thing to do is to let them know how you feel about them. You're gonna have to accept the possibility of rejection, but that's part of life. In the end, though, at least you got to let them know."

Scootaloo blinked a few times before embracing the blue pegasus in a tight hug. "Thank you..." she murmured, "Thank you so much for listening."

"I'm here any time you need me, Squirt." Rainbow Dash said as she playfully ruffled the fillies mane. Getting a giggle out of it.

...

It was almost late by the time Applejack finally returned home to Ponyville. When the conductor asked her about her injuries, she didn't reply. She just wanted to go back to Ponyville and her family the bad news about Braeburn before going to Princess Celestia. The beaten up Earth Pony stood in front of one of the doors as the train came to a stop. In the smoke she saw the outline of her big brother waiting for her. Apple Bloom, Grandma and Little Strongheart must've went home because of the time.

"AJ?" she heard her brother's deep voice call as the smoke cleared. The doors soon opened and Applejack immediately embraced her brother in a tight hug. "A-Applejack?" Big Macintosh asked in a surprised tone of voice. Both his ears suddenly perked up when he heard her sob against his neck. Her warm tears staining his red fur. "Applejack..." the stallion hugged his sister closely. His eyes widening when he spotted one of the bruises on her back. "AJ... What the hell happened to you?"

Applejack sobbed. "Just...just take me home, Big Macintosh. Just take me home again."

**X.X**

**Sorry for the quick chapter. I'll try to make the next one longer if I can.**

**And, oh my, who does Scootaloo have a crush on? It's not Rainbow Dash, btw. ^-^**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Thanks! I appreciate it ^-^**

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: XD LOL!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Warning: Possible spoilers to Canterlot Wedding parts 1 and 2**

**X.X**

Hayseed Swamps was like most swamps in Equestria. The forested swamp of southeastern Equestria was miraculously silent this night. Normally filled with the music of crickets and other wildlife, along with the occasional glow of fireflies hovering above the murky waters, the swamp seemed as though it was completely void of life. Only the moonlight was able to break through the mist that cloaked the area. Revealing the dim outlines of crooked or dead trees all around. Some giving off the shapes of rather large, frightening creatures that one would see in a nightmare.

Queen Chrysalis didn't mind it, however.

Since the incident in Canterlot two years back, she and her remaining Changeling children had seemed refuge in the Hayseed Swamps far away. Hoping to try and rebuild their hive so that they can get their revenge on the ones who destroyed them in the first place.

The Elements of Harmony.

The Mane Six, as they call themselves.

However. When news of the Element of Magic's death reached their part of Equestria, Chrysalis couldn't help but flash a wicked grin. Snickering at the images of her devastated friends looking sorrowful and hopeless. However, when she learned that Shining Armor had also been killed, everything she had been planning for backfired. Her kind fed off the love of other ponies. She fed off the love Shining Armor had foe Cadence. But when she learned of his gruesome demise, she suddenly felt hopeless.

For two full years she and her children had starved and suffered. The mere thought of watching her little ones die made the Changeling Queen's heart ace with grief. She ran out of things to promise them. Even though she never kept any of the ones she made before. She was about to lose all hope until she learned of the incident in Appleloosa and Cloudsdale. She already knew that the tyrant king, Sombra, had returned. But she didn't think he would've made such a big comeback!

And then there was the sudden call of unicorns to come to Canterlot. Curious and interested, Chrysalis sent on of her Changlings to go attend the meeting in the disguise of an average unicorn. The information they brought back was priceless. She couldn't help but wonder how the dark unicorn would react if he found out about it. It would aid him greatly in his quest for domination over Equestria. However. She wasn't going to give him the information right away. She spent three months trying to produce more offspring for the hive. Despite her weakened state. She now had enough Changelings for two waves. If she had more energy, she could make more.

Now she was waiting outside of her humble abode. Pacing back and forth anxiously. She was rather surprised that the king received her letter. Let alone send one back in reply. But it was no longer evening, and the moon was already midway in the sky. She was beginning doubt the king would ever arrive until lavender flash temporarily blinded her. The Changeling Queen stumbled back and gasped in surprise. Blinking a few times in hope of regaining her eyesight quicker.

Her vision just about settled to see the armored form of King Sombra. Black mane flowing in the wind like shadowy flames while his fur cape was draped over his body. His crown resting proudly on his head as it always did for one thousand and two years. Standing beside him, Chrysalis noticed, was a much smaller pony. Standing about the height of his neck, this one appeared to be that of a unicorn as well. Almost like a feminine version of Sombra, but without the cape. However. She did wear armor similar to Celestia's. But much darker and battle-ready. Chrysalis then noticed the wings resting flat against the mare's body.

This was no ordinary unicorn. It was an alicorn.

Chrysalis would've questioned who she was if she hadn't looked past all of the major changes in her appearance and concentrated on those familiar eyes. Aside from the much darker fur, the curved and pointed horn, the longer mane, and the change in height, the Changeling Queen could recognize those eyes anywhere.

An unequal amount of rage she should've felt the moment she realized who she was was quickly replaced with shock. She took a few steps back. Not taking her eyes off the alicorn. "Y-you!" she snarled.

The alicorn didn't look as surprised. Instead she merely narrowed her eyes at her Changeling Queen and said nothing in return.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Chrysalis snapped. "Don't think I've forgotten about you! You're the one who tried to foil my plans at the wedding two years ago! Because of you and your pathetic friends, my children and I suffered!"

Twilight said nothing at first. Only keeping her gaze away from the Queen a bit before looking back at her with a dark expression. Chrysalis felt a sense of terror when she noticed the white surrounding the dark violet eyes suddenly turn green while purple whisps of smoke left the corner of her eyes. "_Friends_?" she repeated slowly. Ominously. "They are NOT my friends. I have no friends. Those hypocritical bastards left me and my brother for dead. And." The alicorn took a forward. Keeping her gaze on the nervous Changeling. "You think you and your children suffered? Believe me. You don't know what _real _suffering is. You don't know the _pain _I endured during two months of captivity. Tortured with my worse nightmares imaginable. Day in and day out. For hours on end. Imagine that,_ Chrysalis_. Imagine that."

King Sombra, who hasn't said anything since their arrival, gently nuzzled his wife's ear in an attempt to calm her. He felt the alicorns body relax a bit.

"Those ponies..." Twilight continued in a whisper, "mean nothing to me anymore. I yearn for the day when I feel their warm blood splatter all over my face and armor. I would enjoy watching them all die a slow, agonizing death by my hooves. I will make them feel the same pain I felt before Sombra finally opened my eyes."

The wicked giggle that left Twilight after she finished sent shivers down Chrysalis's spine. Whatever Sombra had done to change the young mare had certainly worked. This wasn't the same Twilight she saw before. This Twilight is different. This Twilight...is a monster. A pure, cold-hearted monster with no hope of saving whatsoever."

Regaining some of her composer, Chrysalis stood tall before the couple. "May I ask what took you both so long to arrive?" she asked in her usual tone.

"We had some matters to take care of." Sombra replied. "My Earth Commander just brought in a new batch of ponies from a town called Dodge Junction." the unicorn flashed a grin. Revealing his pure white fangs. "They would make fine soldiers and slaves."

"Ah. So _that's _why you've been raiding those towns." Chrysalis mused. "But more to the point." a wicked smile appeared on her muzzle. "Come we have much to discuss. It wouldn't be wise for us to converse out in the open."

"Agreed." Sombra nodded before following the Changeling Queen into a cave entrance. Twilight following him closely by his side.

The cave itself was relatively large and spacious with holes on the ceiling. Large puddles of water underneath them basked and reflected parts of the moon as it shone down on them with its divine light. There were also small caverns on the walls. Reveal nothing but watchful moderate arctic blue eyes that watched their every move. Normal ponies would've been freaked out by the many eyes around them. Both would catch a glimpse of a small silhouette retreating from the behind stalagmites or stalagtites and enter the darkness once more.

Chrysalis led them deeper into the cave until she led them to a more specious cavern with a makeshift bed of plant life and Changeling saliva. The Queen took a seat on it while her guests sat across from her. "Now." she said smoothly, "Let us begin. Shall we?"

"Start." King Sombra said.

Chrysalis grinned. "Are you aware that you could have a possible spy amongst your ranks?" she asked.

Sombra's ears perked up with interest, but his face betrayed no emotion. Twilight narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the Changeling.

"And what proof do you have of this?" she asked calmly.

"Celestia called forth a meeting for all of the unicorns in the surrounding area. I found this out and sent one of my Changelings to attend the gathering. Did you know Changelings have excellent hearing? Sometimes we are able to pick up the tiniest bits of conversations if we wanted to."

"Your point?" Twilight was starting to get a little impatient.

"My Changeling was able to overhear the spy part. The reason why she had unicorns involved is because of their abilities to use magic. With magic, they could defend themselves or escape."

Sombra chortled to himself quietly. "Very clever." he said smoothly.

"Unfortunately my little one didn't stay very long to find out who the spies were." Chrysalis added as she slowly narrowed her eyes over to the Changeling hiding in the one of the caverns above them. The Changeling quickly retreated back in.

"It's good enough." Sombra said.

"But wait!" Chrysalis added quickly. "There's more. I wish to propose an alliance with you."

Sombra opened his mouth to say something, but was cut-off by Twilight. "And why would we form an alliance with the likes of _you_?" she hissed. "How do we know you won't attempt to betray us in anyway? Don't think I've forgotten what you did to my brother at the wedding. I don't want to go through the same hell again!" The alicorn angrily stomped her hoof to the ground. The noise echoing throughout the large cave and causing a few Changelings to shiver in fear.

"Do you really think I'm _that _stupid?" Chrysalis snarled venomously. "I don't even have enough Changelings to take on the Royal Guard. What makes you think I would go against you and Sombra when I have no quarrel against any of you? Well...maybe you. But that's different!"

"Why would you want to form an alliance with us in the first place?" Sombra asked casually.

"Because I do not wish to have my little ones and myself to have to suffer under your rule. It would've been a matter of time until your stallions discovered us hiding here. So why go against the enemy, when you could just join them?"

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer..." Twilight murmured to herself. Chrysalis nodded.

"Exactly my point." she said.

Sombra was silent for a full minute until he looked up at the Changeling Queen once more. "And what do you demand in return?" he asked. "Clearly you must want something."

Chrysalis grinned a toothy grin. "I thought you would never ask." she said, "In return for my services, I wish to have all of the forested and swamp areas of Equestria. The rest is to do with as you wish."

"Forests and swamps like White Tail Woods and the Bogg in the Everfree Forest?" Twilight asked.

"Along with the Hayseed Swamps and Hollow Shades." Chrysalis added.

Twilight and Sombra looked at one another.

"But there's more." Chrysalis added. "In case you haven't noticed, my children and I are starving. Surely you must have something to give us to feed off of."

"I thought Changelings fed off love?" Twilight asked.

Chrysalis laughed. "We do, young alicorn." Chrysalis grinned, "But sometimes there just isn't enough love to go around."

Twilight looked to her husband, who had a pondering expression on his face. A grinned suddenly stretched itself on his face and he chuckled darkly. "Perhaps we could work something out about that." he said. Twilight was suddenly confused.

"Sombra?" she asked.

"Like how?" Chrysalis asked. Looking a bit skeptical now.

"Ponies get injured in the mines every day." Sombra said smoothly. "While we do need the medical supplies for our troop, we normally just have those ponies continue their work anyway. Wounded or not. Plus we have no use for the crippled or elderly. So we just kill them off."

Chrysalis cocked a "brow" up. "Are you proposing that you give us those ponies?"

"It would be such a waste to kill them off." Sombra replied smoothly, "But we will keep our wounded soldiers alive and allow them to heal."

Chrysalis grinned. A sinister glint present in her moderate harlequin eyes that now shimmer with excitement. "That would fit us just fine, my king." she said before cackling.

...

The ocean just beyond the Hayseed Swamps was relatively calm. If one were to concentrate hard enough, however, they would catch a brief glimmer underneath the waves. Ponies that werw originally thought to be nothing but mere folklore, inhabited the seas with their own way of life. Living in homes within large coral reefs that have yet to be discovered, and remained untouched throughout the decades.

A flash of yellow was seen underneath the waves. Far from the safety of the reef, little Sea Star risked life and fin to breach the surface. Just to catch a glimpse of the night sky. The sea pony filly pumped her front hooves and dolphin tail faster than she's ever done. Possibly faster than Sea Breeze! Her large purple eyes glittered with excitement when she noticed the surface suddenly grow closer and closer. The tip of her little snout just broke the surface before she felt something grab her tail and yank her down.

"Sea Star!" the white sea pony exclaimed as she narrowed her blue eyes at the filly. "What in Neptune's name are you doing out so late? Your folks are worried sick!"

The sea filly shyed away from the older sea mare. "Sorry, Whitecap." she squeaked, "I just wanted to sea what the sky looked like. I've been having really bad dreams lately."

Whitecap's expression softened slightly. But she crossed her front arms and narrowed her eyes at the filly. "What do bad dream have to do with this?" she asked.

"Something really bad is gonna happen on the surface..." Sea Star said as she fidgeted with her hooves. "I dreamt that there were a lot of dead surface ponies sinking in the ocean. The ocean was stained in red water..."

Whitecap felt her body shiver. "...Aright." she sighed, "I'll let you off with a warning. But go home, Sea Star. It's not safe for you to be out in the open at night. There's sharks lurking around here."

Sea Star opened her mouth to protest, but quickly closed it and bobbed her head in defeat. "Alright..." she said before diving back to the reef. Whitecap stayed where she was for a moment before she turned her attention up to the surface. The pale moonlight shining through the waves and ripples.

Yes. One of these days the sea will be stained in blood. She just prayed to Neptune himself that it wouldn't come so soon...

**X.X**

**Oh, lookie here. I added Sea Ponies from G1. Although I sorta changed their appearance a bit to fit the current Generation XD. And I have no idea what their personalities are like, aaaaaaand I can't guarantee they'll make a full appearance in this fic. **

**PrincessMidnightMoon: I'm afraid this fic won't be ending for a long while now ;)**

**Lusaphira: Thanks! All of the answers to your questions will come soon.**

**AnonAnon: Thanks! That means a lot to me! :D**

**Fan: As always, thanks XD**


	18. Chapter 18

Rainbow Dash do nothing but stare out the window of the train as she listened to the cries of Applejack as Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy did everything in their power to comfort the distraught Earth Pony. But they knew it was useless.

The Apple Family was a tight-knit community all together. For Applejack to discover that her own cousin was working with Sombra clearly shattered her psyche. Big Macintosh had told them he hasn't AJ this distraught since the death of their parents a few years back. No pony had been so close to Braeburn then Applejack. The two were like two peas in a pod.

"I'll tell the rest of the family." Big Macintosh sighed before they boarded the train to Canterlot. "You gals just get her to Celestia."

Even Strongheart was devastated. Since the incident in Appleloosa, the two became good friends. The buffalo calf was just as devastated as the Apple Household.

"I want him back..." Applejack whimpered, "I want my cousin back so much..."

"We know you do, AJ. We know you do..." Fluttershy said soothingly as she rubbed her back. The pegasus exchanged worried glances with Pinkie Pie.

"First Twilight...then Shining...then Strongheart's herd...and now Braeburn and Rarity!?" Rainbow Dash angrily slammed her hoof down on the glass window. Causing it to crack slightly. "Why!?" she hollered, "Why? Why? WHY!? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO US!? WE DID NOTHING TO DESERVE THIS! THAT SON OF A BITCH IS TEARING US APART FROM THE INSIDE!" the blue pegasus slammed her hoof down on the window once more. Except this time it was much weaker. Tears poured down her face as they hit her seat like rain drops. "Rarity... Braeburn..."

Her remaining friends simply stared at her in silence just as the train came to a stop in the Canterlot Train Station. But her questions lingered in their minds. The same ones they've been asking since Twilight's death.

...

"I am so sorry to hear about your cousin." Celestia said as she Applejack a sympathetic nuzzle. "It appears that Sombra's influence on others has grown much stronger than Luna and I originally thought."

"What about Rarity?" Fluttershy asked.

"And Trixie, too!" Pinkie Pie added, "How are we going to get them back from Sombra? We don't even know where they are!" Celestia suddenly surprised them all when she smiled a small smile. The pink Earth Pony cocked her head curiously. "Um...Princess?" she asked.

"You won't have to worry about them for a while." Celestia said. "It's exactly what I hoped for."

"WHAT!?" the four ponies suddenly screamed.

"What the hay are you talking about, Princess?" Applejack asked in dismay.

"Have you gone coocoo crazy!?" Pinkie Pie screamed. Unintentionally bringing her face up to the princess's.

"No, Pinkie Pie." Celestia said as she used her magic to gently push her away. "There is a reason why I sent Rarity and Trixie to Dodge Junction." Celestia's gaze suddenly turned serious as she brought her face to the ponies. "Remember the meeting I held for the unicorns three months back?" she asked. The four ponies nodded slowly and Celestia smiled. "What I am going to tell you is top secret." Celestia took her time explaining her plan to the remaining elements. Stopping to answer questions that were randomly shot at her.

"When will they come back?" Fluttershy asked.

"It depends on how long this might take." Celestia replied. "If my suspicions are confirmed, then it's best if they stay. I taught them the strongest spells I know to protect themselves. And if anything, I can assure you that they'll come home alive and well."

"What about Spike?" Pinkie Pie asked. "How are we going to explain this to Spike without him breaking down. I mean, he already lost Twilight Sparkle..."

Celestia sighed softly. "You're going to have to take it slow for him. The same goes with Rarity's family as well. We don't want them to end up like Twilight's..." Celestia fell silent for a bit before she looked over to Applejack. "Applejack. I can understand that this is going to be a hard time for you and your family, but you must be strong. Whatever influence Braeburn is under, there is always a way to break it. I will do everything in my power to bring your cousin back to his senses. But for now, try to stay strong. For him."

Applejack sniffled before she nodded her head. "T-thank you, p-princess." she said.

Celestia smiled kindly at her. "All of you must remember that you cannot tell this to anypony. Not even the most trustworthy pony you know. We cannot risk leaking this into the open with Sombra currently at large. If he finds out who Rarity and Trixie are..." A dead silence filled the throne room. Fluttershy swallowing hard from the many possible fates that could befall on the two unicorns.

"Don't worry, Princess Celestia!" Rainbow Dash said. Stomping her hoof down determinedly. "We'll keep quiet about it. For Rarity and Trixie, even."

Celestia smiled and nodded. "Even in times of complete darkness, you must always hold on to even the dimmest shred of hope. For in the end, you will always find the light. One way or another..."

Amber Leaf slowly slipped away from the door and retreated to the shadows. Hiding behind one of the pillars to take in everything she just heard. She closed her eyes slowly when she thought about what Celestia had said about hope. Hope was something she lost a very long time ago. Even when Celestia and Luna finally came to stop Sombra's rule over the Crystal Empire, she still lacked hope.

_Hope has done nothing for me, _she thought bitterly. _What makes them think it'll help them? _The Crystal Earth Pony shook her head and quietly trotted up the steps to her guest room. Finally. She had some news to report in.

...

Rarity almost stumbled back slightly as she attempted to swing the pickaxe down against the rock. Accidentally bumping into Trixie and causing her to drop her pickaxe. "Damn it, Rarity!" the blue unicorn hissed.

Rarity narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything in return. If they were going to work together, they needed to learn how to get along with each other without getting themselves killed along the way. Rarity slammed her pickaxe on the rock before letting it go to wipe some sweat off her forehead. The body heat from the other ponies around them made the tunnel very warm and humid. The lights didn't help either.

"This isn't what I had in mind," she whispered Trixie, "when Celestia wanted us to be spies."

Trixie nodded in agreement before she swung her pickaxe down as well. "It'd be nice if we could use our damn magic for once." she grunted, "We'd get done much faster."

"What would be the point?" Rarity sighed as she swung her pickaxe down. "Remember what that Black Fire pony said? 'You will be forced to work in the mines until we say so. If we catch any of you slacking off, you will suffer the consequences!'" Rarity spoke in a mock voice. Trixie snickered.

"Hey! You two!" A harsh voice barked down the tunnel.

Both unicorns shot up in surprise as they clamped down on the handle of their pickaxes tightly. They didn't turn to see the armored stallion approach them. The ponies around them suddenly started to work much faster than before. The armor the stallion wore made chilling _clangs _as they slapped against each other. Soon his shadow blended in with their own and their bodies stiffened with fear.

"Turn around and face me." the stallion demanded.

Shaking, both unicorns slowly turned around. The stallion glaring down at them is one Rarity recognized from Appleloosa. Even though the mustache was completely shaved off, she could recognize this pony anywhere. It was the sheriff. Rarity felt tempted to say his name, but kept her trap shut.

"You two slacking off or somethin'?" he asked gruffly.

"N-no, sir." they both said in unison. Trembling slightly.

"Sure as hell ain't lookin' like it!" the former sheriff huffed. Stomping his hoof on the ground. "Don't let me catch you two slacking off again. Or else!" he snapped dangerously. Both unicorns bobbed their heads quickly and immediately turned back to resume their work. They continued to swing their axes down quickly until the hoofsteps sounded distant.

"That was a close one..." a voice squeaked beside Rarity. "Normally they would've just taken you in right there and then."

Both unicorns turned their heads over and were greeted by a rather agitated looking Crystal Pony. The pony looked very unkept and malnourished. It was a surprise that she was still alive. Let alone sane. "I've never seen you two around here before. Are you new?"

"Yeah." Rarity replied. "We just came from Dodge Junction."

"Ah. Another village ruined..." the pony sighed softly before she swung her axe down.

"Um... If you don't mind me asking, but why is Sombra having his stallions attack towns?" Rarity spoke softly so none of the other ponies would hear. The Crystal Pony sighed sadly.

"He's trying to build an army, you see. The Crystal Empire was merely just the start of it all. That's why he's raiding the other villages in Equestria. He just doesn't have enough stallions."

"But why isn't he in the Crystal Empire now?" Trixie asked.

"He knew the Princesses would come for him once more. So he relocated everyone to his childhood home because he knew the alicorn sisters wouldn't find him here. The Crystal Mountains are known for their unpredictable weather patterns. It's always so cold out there. The old servants barracks they place us in doesn't have a stove or anything."

"So we've noticed..." Rarity murmured to herself. Remembering her first night here and how uncomfortable it was. "But the crystals. What does he want with the crystals?"

The pony suddenly stiffened. She looked rather hesitant to speak about it. "King Sombra's family has a...history with dragons. A certain clan, actually. Everypony knows just how much dragons love gems. These particular dragons love crystals, you see. He's been wanting to from an alliance with these dragons even before he was imprisoned. That's why he has us mine for crystals. He knows just how these dragons work."

"Really? I always thought he was some fuck up unicorn who is obsessed with crystals." Trixie said.

The pony shook her head sadly. "No. Sombra isn't who you ponies think he is. He is so much more..."

Rarity and Trixie exchanged worried glances. Just what had they gotten themselves into?

**X.X**

**Short chapter. Sorry about that :|**

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: Sorry if this chapter wasn't all that exciting XD**

**Dark Fox Tailz: That would be a great idea! But I'm afraid I might not add any more ponies from the other generations. The sea ponies were just a one time thing. And I've never seen the G1 series. But I'll keep the idea in mind, though. **

**xSOLO GAMERx: They'll find out in due time. I don't want to rush into things too quickly. **

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Like I've said, the sea ponies are a one time thing.**


	19. Chapter 19

_Rainbow Dash found herself unable to fly as shadowy entrails wrapped around her figure. She opened her mouth widely to let out a silent scream. Tears coursing down her face as the shadowy tentacles squeezed tighter._

_"Help me, Rainbow Dash..." she heard Twilight Sparkle's broken voice plead to her. Even though she wasn't anywhere near her, it sounded very close. Rainbow Dash could've sworn she felt her breath brush against her fur. "Help me, Dashy... Help me... Please..."_

_"T-Twilight..." Rainbow Dash gagged as a dark entrail wrapped itself around her neck and squeezed it. _

_Images suddenly flashed before her eyes. Images of Twilight curled up in the floor in a fetal position with her hooves covering her head. Even though she couldn't hear it, Rainbow Dash knew she was screaming. A loud, chilling laughter suddenly echoed throughout the darkness. Rainbow Dash found it harder to breath as the entrails squeezed her fragile body tighter. She thought she heard one of her ribs break. A pair of crimson irises, surrounded by green, suddenly appeared in the darkness with whisps of purple smoke coming out from the corners. _

_"Somebody help me, please!" Rainbow Dash managed to choke out._

_A the same chilling laughter replied. __**"No pony can save you." **__the dark voice said dangerously. __**"Even if they wanted to, they will never reach you. You will break. Shatter. Allowing the darkness to claim what remains of your broken soul. Just how I did to your beloved friend..."**_

_"W-what are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash squeaked. The eyes suddenly disappeared along with the entrails._

Rainbow Dash's eyes snapped open as soon as the entrails released her body. She was greeted by a few silhouettes that were gathered around her. She lifted her arm up to shield her eyes from the sunlight as her vision settled.

"Dash?" one of them, Scootaloo, asked worriedly.

"Is everything alright?" another one, Strongheart's, added.

"Maybe she's still asleep." she heard Sweetie Belle's voice say.

"Ponies don't sleep with their eyes open, dummy!" she heard Apple Bloom say in a know-it-all tone.

"Hey! You don't know that!" Sweetie Belle protested.

"Ladies, ladies." a male voice said gently. "There's no reason to fight right now. Rainbow Dash needs all of us right now."

"Ok, Mr. Star Knight." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle murmured in unison.

Rainbow Dash suddenly came to life. "Star Knight?" she asked, quickly sitting up. The white pegasus smiled warmly at her. His brilliant green and blue shaded mane flowing lightly in the wind like a multicolored waterfall falling sideways.

"In the flesh." he said. He grunted in surprise when Rainbow Dash suddenly tackled him in a tight hug. "Woah! Easy there, girl." he chuckled as he hugged her back.

"I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash said as she pulled away from him, "It's been so long since I've last seen you. The last time we saw each other was after our release from the hospital three months ago. How's your wing?"

"Much better, actually." Star Knight replied while folding and unfolding his healed wing. "I learned how to fly again, too. But I'm afraid I'm not as fast as I use to be."

"It's alright." Rainbow Dash smiled. "At least you can fly again." Both Pegasi soon got back on their hooves and Rainbow Dash turned her attention over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "What happened?" she asked, "How did you guys find me?"

"The girls and I were teaching Strongheart how hide 'n go seek tag when Scootaloo found you sleeping underneath this tree." Apple Bloom explained. "Speaking of which. Why were you sleeping underneath a tree in the first place?"

"Oh. I must've dozed off." Rainbow Dash sighed as she rubbed the side of her face. "I've been having trouble sleeping lately, so I came here to think."

"We can see why." Strongheart added softly. "When we found you, you acted as though somepony was choking you. You were crying out for help and we got scared. We didn't know what to do. We were afraid to wake you up."

"But then Mr. Star Knight came along and helped us out!" Scootaloo grinned, "He's the one who shook you a few times until you finally woke up."

"Really now." Rainbow Dash looked over to her friend with an expectant smile. "What are you doing here in Ponyville anyway?"

"I came by to see how you were doing." Star Knight said. "I asked around to find where you were until I found these little cuties gathered around you." He fondly patted Scootaloo on the head.

"Well thanks for coming." Rainbow Dash said. "I could actually use somepony to talk to right now." And good timing, too.

Rainbow Dash spent the next hour and a half explaining her dreams to Star Knight while the Cutie Mark Crusaders happily played in the field. It brought warmth to Rainbow Dash's heart that Strongheart was actually making progress. According to Applejack, she even started helping out around the farm. It's going to be a great pain when the buffalo calf would have to leave. But they know she can't stay in Ponyville forever.

"So that's pretty much it, really." Rainbow Dash sighed while resting her head on her arms. Gazing up at the white clouds that floated by. "And they just won't stop! I haven't had a good sleep in ages."

"Nightmares can be a real pain in the flank." Star Knight chimed as he stared up at the sky as well. "Sometimes they actually tell us messages. Dreams are amazing that way."

Rainbow Dash turned her head over to the stallion. "Messages?" she asked, "How?"

Star Knight shrugged. "No pony really knows actually. Ponies have been trying to figure out dreams for ages, and still haven't figured out what they really are. Some dreams are known to give out messages. Sort of like premonitions, but in reverse. It's really hard to explain without getting a migraine from it."

"You're telling me." Rainbow Dash started to feel a headache come up and she started to rub her head. "I'm starting to feel a headache come up."

Star Knight let out a laugh and he slapped the ground. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, you crack me up sometimes!"

Rainbow Dash blushed slightly. She trailed her eyes down until they rested on his cutie mark. She's been wanting to ask him how he got it, but never had the chance. "How did you get your cutie mark?" she asked, gesturing to it.

"This thing?" Star Knight asked before he gently tapped his cutie mark. A small, fond smile appeared on his face as memories of the night he got his cutie mark came rushing back. "I got this thing while I was still a colt, actually. When I was younger, my older brother and I use to play in the dark. We loved the night, you see. Most ponies referred to us as "night owls"."

"I never knew you had a brother." Rainbow Dash rolled onto her side to look at him better. Her ears perked up with interest.

"I don't talk about him very much." Star Knight said. "One night, my brother and I decided to take a hike in the nearby woods. Looking back now I realise how much of a dumbass we both were. We've been hiking in those woods many times before, and we thought we could get home without problem. But we eventually got lost."

"How did you find your way back?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I remembered learning about using the starts as a sort of map to guide us. I looked at a few constellations and eventually found one that led in the direction back to town. On our way back, though, we were suddenly attacked by some hungry looking wolves. Being colts at the time we didn't know how to completely fly yet. So we were practically fucked. One of the wolves lunged for my brother, but I defended him. I attacked the wolf with a fallen branch. Wielding it like a sword in a way. Eventually we managed to scare them away. It was my brother who first noticed my cutie mark. It appeared after our encounter with the wolves."

Star Knight paused a bit and smiled. "I guess... Since I used the stars to guide us home, and fought like a warrior, that's how I must've earned it."

"That's amazing." Rainbow Dash said.

"What about you? How did you get your cutie mark?"

"Well..." Rainbow Dash patted her cutie mark softly. "Long story short, I achieved something very great during my foalhood." she replied.

Star Knight chuckled and rolled onto his side. Propping his head up with one hoof and giving her a playful smile. "What achievement would that be?"

"Oh, something like...being the first to perform a sonic rainboom as a filly." Rainbow Dash replied proudly. Star Knight's green eyes suddenly widened with awe and he sat up.

"You're kidding me." he said.

"Nope! It's all true." Rainbow Dash said, sitting up as well.

"That's incredible!" Star Knight grinned, "For somepony to perform a sonic rainboom at such a young age is hard to believe. To be honest, I didn't believe you at first."

"You're not the first." Rainbow Dash chuckled. "But it's something I'm gonna be proud of for the rest of my life."

"No kidding." Star Knight smiled. Both Pegasi then layed back down on the grass and stared up at the sky.

"Star Knight." Rainbow Dash said, breaking the brief silence between them. "You mentioned that you barely talk about your brother. Why is that?" she turned her head over to the stallion and noticed he had a sad expression on his face.

Star Knight closed his eyes slowly and sighed heavily. "I'd...rather not talk about it..." The stallion quickly shook the frown on his face and looked back at Rainbow Dash with a smile. "Let's not dilly dally on the past too long, and concentrate on the future instead. How have you been feeling? Since the incident in Cloudsdale..."

"What? Oh..." Rainbow Dash felt herself shiver slightly when the memory popped up in her mind. "I'm good now. Although I've become a bit distant from my friends. I started to spend time more to myself than anything else, really."

Star Knight fell silent for a bit. "I'm...really sorry about what happened back there." he said softly, "How he tried to..."

"Hey." Rainbow Dash playfully punched his shoulder. "There's no need to apologize. You were injured. And there was no way we could've predicted it. It's my fault for forcing you to take me along in the first place."

Star Knight smiled a small smile. "It's no pony's fault." he finally said. "But next time...I'm going to fight back. Just to protect you if anypony tries to pull something off."

"You do that." Rainbow Dash smiled back.

Meanwhile the Cutie Mark Crusaders were watching from a distance. Giggling to one another from the sight.

"You think they're in _love_?" Sweetie Belle giggled.

"Looks like it." Scootaloo snickered, "We just have to wait and see how things play out." The girls giggled again before Scootaloo moved her eyes over to Apple Bloom. _Someday, _she thought to herself_, I'm going to tell her..._

"What's that?" Strongheart suddenly asked.

"What's what?" Apple Bloom asked back.

The buffalo calf suddenly pointed her hoof towards a black shape in the sky. The girls focused their gaze at the shape until Scootaloo suddenly perked up her ears. "It looks like a bird of some kind." she said, "But I've never seen its kind around these parts.

"I wonder where it's going..." Apple Bloom said in a dreamy tone as thet watched the bird fly off in the distance.

...

Amber Leaf paced back and forth in her room anxiously. The message to Sombra clenched gently in between her teeth. It would take three days to arrive to Canterlot and back depending on the weather. But it's a strong raven. It wouldn't stop for anything until it completed its delivery. Sure enough, she heard a familiar _tap tap _on the window glass.

The raven was perched on the windowsill. Not even flinching as she opened the window. Amber places the scroll at its sharp talons and nudged it forward. "Make sure this gets to Sombra." she said sternly. "It's VERY important that he receives this report."

The raven nodded and picked up the scroll with its talons before flapping away.

**X.X**

**Uhhhhhh ooooooooh**

**Katyuna: Thank you so much! You have no idea how much your review means to me. :D**

**xSOLO GAMERx: Thanks. I was actually stuck about having Twilight meeting Trixie and Rarity. But a Bronie friend of mine in school helped me figure something out for that.**

**Lusaphira: You betcha. Unfortunately, Amber decided to play bad girl. ;)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Warning: Mature suggestive themes **

**(Maybe a horny Twilight XD) **

**X.X**

If there's one thing Sombra loved about Twilight, it would be her touch.

Her touch was warm. Soothing. A delightful sensation that would send tingles throughout his body as she caressed him in bed. The way she nuzzled his mane brought him a great sense of...comfort. Something he hasn't felt since his foalhood; of which he could vaguely remember about. He loved it when she would whisper in his ear sweet things that would shake most ponies to their core. He kept his eyes on the young mare as she stripped herself of her armor and crown. Slipping off her shoes as she stretched out her slim body. Just watching her made him want to take her right there and then. He wanted to feel her hooves all over him while she moaned his name in that delicate voice of her's.

"See something you like, my king?" Twilight asked with a smirk when she spotted him watching her.

Sombra immediately turned his face and silently crawled into bed. "I don't know what you're talking about." he said innocently. Lying on his side with his head propped up on his hoof.

Twilight laughed and teasingly flipped her mane as she turned away to remove the last of her attire. She then slipped into bed and gently forced Sombra down on his back before straddling him. "I know you want me." she cooed. Leaning down and nibbling on his neck. She felt his body suddenly start to warm up a bit and she smirked. She then proceeded to slide her hoof down his chest slowly. Brushing against his fur in a feathery touch until she rests it on his inner thigh.

By now Sombra found himself squirming in anticipation. Panting softly as she used her other hoof to caress his black mane slowly while she brought her muzzle to his ear. The king was rarely, if ever, subdued so easily. But Twilight knew just how to make him do so. She knew his secrets and special areas that would cause him to fall to his knees and _beg _her to pleasure him like a submissive slave. He hated it when that happened sometimes. But Twilight enjoyed it the most.

"You want it, my king?" she whispered hotly in his ear. "Do you want to fuck your sweet Twilight so hard? Do you want me to ride you while you watch me bounce on your stallionhood?" She smirked and brought her muzzle closer to his ear. Nudging it softly. "Either one will do."

"T-Twil-light..." Sombra moaned shakely as he felt himself harden at his wife's daring words. "Y-you naughty, naughty mare..."

Twilight giggled closely in his ear. Pressing their warm bodies closer. "I know you want me to fuck you like the little whore I am." she giggled.

Sombra narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Don't call yourself that." he muttered.

"What? I was only teasing." she giggled again before smiling down at her husband. "So? Have you decided yet?"

Can't we just do both? He wanted to ask. But he didn't want to force her past her limit. The last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt. The king finally opened his mouth to reply, only to snap it shut when they heard knocking on their door. Both ponies groaned in annoyance before Sombra tossed the covers aside and went over to see who it was. He opened the door and poked his head out to find Black Fire standing there with a scroll in his mouth.

"My king." he said, placing the scroll down. "We just received a report from Amber Leaf."

Sombra cocked his "brow". "Anything new?" he asked. He really didn't want to waste his time finding out that it wasn't. To his surprise, the crimson pegasus nodded.

"I read it myself, sir." he said before nudging the scroll forward. "You better take a look at it yourself."

Sombra used his magic to lift the scroll up and unroll it before silently reading what it said to himself. His eyes slowly grew wider the more he read. A mixed look of shock, horror, and rage, clear in his crimson orbs. His jaw tightened as he calmly rolled the scroll up once more. "Thank you, Black Fire." he said calmly, "You may retire for the night."

The crimson stallion bowed his head deeply before turning around to leave. Sombra stepped into his room once more with the scroll and closed the door behind him.

"Well?" Twilight asked curiously as she watched her king crawl into bed beside her.

"We actually got some news from our little spy in Canterlot." Sombra said as he placed the scroll on the night stand beside him. "Celestia had sent two unicorn spies to Dodge Junction to allow themselves to get captured." he chortle softly in amusement. "Very clever, if you ask me."

"Did she find out their names?" Twilight asked. Leaning forward a bit as curiosity glittered her eyes.

"Yes, actually." Sombra replied. "Their names are Rarity and Trixie."

The room suddenly fell dead silent. So silent that Sombra could hear the slaves outside pulling large carts of crystals out of the mines. Twilight's breathing suddenly became shallow as she processed through everything she just heard. Memories that were locked up tightly in the back of her mind suddenly broke free as the two names echoed throughout her head. Sombra noticed her sudden change in behavior and gently nudged her.

"Twilight?" he asked softly. He was suddenly taken aback when his wife unleashed a roar of laughter. The look she had on her face would've been described as one a psychopath would have. She suddenly smashed her lips against Sombra's in a surprise kiss before pulling away to grin widely at him. Her dark irises about the size of marbles now.

"It's perfect!" she said enthusiastically. Wagging her tail like a happy dog.

"Pardon?" Sombra asked. Feeling slightly confused.

Twilight giggled and happily nuzzled him. "Remember back in the Crystal Empire?" she whispered, "Do you remember the ponies that were with me?"

Sombra thought about the question for a bit. "Sort of." he answered. "If I recall, they _were _your friends."

Twilight cringed when he mentioned the word "friends" and hissed softly. A malicious grin was suddenly plastered onto her face and she cackled. "This is the perfect time to exact my revenge on one of them. I'll make sure Rarity suffers for the rest of her pitiful life before I exterminate her."

Sombra smirked and kissed down her neck and shoulders as she cackled. "What of this Trixie pony?" he growled softly against her neck.

Twilight rolled her eyes in annoyance. She _definitely _remembered blue unicorn. Especially with her being such a bragging bitch who made up stories just to get attention. Such an attention whore she was. Twilight remembered how much she hated resisting the urge to just give her a knock out punch right then and there. "You can handle her." she replied bluntly, "But Rarity is _mine_."

Sombra chuckled darkly in her ear. "As you wish, my Queen." he said in a husky voice.

The way he spoke gave Twilight goosebumps. She turned back to him with a mischievous smirk before she pinned him down on the bed once more. "First things first, however." she purred, "Have you made your decision on what you wanted. We do have all night after all. And I'm in no rush to have my revenge."

"Hmm..." Sombra tapped his chin thoughtfully with a teasing smile. "Surprise me. My sweet Twilight." he replied. Twilight licked her lips in anticipation and giggled.

...

"It's so cold." Trixie whined softly as tossed and turned in her makeshift bed of old rags on the cold, hard floor of the old servants barracks. The beds had been long removed and placed into the guard barracks instead. Sombra clearly wanted his slaves to suffer after what happened months earlier. "I hate to say it, but I'd rather be working in the damn mines right now."

"Whining is not going to help us, Trixie." Rarity groaned after her attempts to block out the blue unicorn's constant complaining failed. Sweet Celestia, she was even worse than herself! "Maybe you should've backed down from being a spy for the Royal Guard when you had the chance!"

Trixie smirked. "Nice try, Rarity. But I'm not one to back out from something like this so easily."

"Why did you join, anyway? I thought you hated Twilight Sparkle."

Trixie's expression suddenly softened, and she sighed sadly. "Let's just say I had some _unfinished business _with Twilight Sparkle. When I found out about her death, you had no idea just how pissed off I was at that Sombra guy. I didn't even get the chance to challenge her to a duel!"

Rarity rolled her eyes and turned away from her. Sighing softly to herself, Rarity closed her eyes and silently prayed that the night would end soon.

"Pssp. Hey. You there." a voice suddenly whispered in the darkness.

Rarity opened her eyes and looked across from her to see a light brown Crystal Pony looking directly at her with pale grayish brown eyes. Rarity blinked. "Who are you?" she asked back in a whisper.

"Amber Waves." the mare replied hesitantly. "Are you...are you one of the ponies who came to the Crystal Empire before? You look so familiar..."

"Why. Yes I was." Rarity said. Her eyes drifted away from the other mare as memories of the disaster in the Crystal Empire came rushing back. She closed her eyes before looking back at the mare sadly. "I'm so sorry this happened to all of you." she said. "My friends and I honestly thought we could find the Crystal Heart in time. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. None of us blame any of you." Amber Waves assured her with a weak smile. "What are you doing here? Did Sombra's stallions capture you too?"

"You can say that." Rarity replied. "How does he get all of these new stallions, though?"

"He drafts certain stallions into his Guard." Amber Waves replied. "He inspects the new stallions that come in and chooses the fittest looking ones into his Guard. If they resist, they'll get one heck of a beating from the Guards..."

"That's awful." Rarity said. "How could one pony do that to another without feeling remorse? Sombra is such a wicked, wicked unicorn!"

"Did any of you ever try to rebel against him or something?" Trixie asked. Suddenly entering the conversation.

Amber Waves suddenly winced and she seemed a bit reluctant to speak now. "We...tried." she said. "But someone we once trusted gave us away..."

"Who were they?" Rarity asked.

"A mare named Amber Leaf." Amber Waves replied. "There was a time she was actually Sombra's consort before he...changed."

"Changed?" Rarity cocked her head curiously. Much like Pinkie Pie would do when she didn't get something right away. "You mean he wasn't always like this?"

Amber Waves shook her head sadly. "No. There was a time he was actually a pleasant stallion to be around. From what I heard, he was a runaway Prince who came to the Crystal Empire to try and master magic. We are known for our massive library after all. But...something happened to him. Something caused him to change. It just...happened over night." the Earth Pony started to sob quietly in her hooves. Rarity and Trixie exchanged sympathetic glances.

"What happened?" Trixie asked.

"None of us know." Amber Waves replied. "But he's no longer the Sombra we all thought we knew... Something corrupted him from the inside. We just don't know what!"

Dark magic was the first thing that came into Rarity's mind. The white unicorn then jumped when the front door to the barracks suddenly opened. Every pony present inside immediately stiffened with fear and a few frantically closed their eyes in an attempt to give off the appearance of them sleeping. Rarity, Trixie and Amber Waves immediately layed their heads down and closed their eyes tightly. Doing their best not to shake or whimper.

Braeburn's dark pistachio eyes stood out in the darkness as he stomped inside. The ponies, even the few from Appleloosa, the ones who once saw him as a friend, cowered in pure fear when he passed by. The stallion darted his eyes back and forth as he searched for two certain unicorns he was sent to bring in. Luckily he knew what they looked like. Trixie let out a surprised shriek when he gave her a harsh kick to her side.

"Get up." he demanded coldly. He then kicked Rarity. "You too."

Rarity gave the stallion a glare as she rubbed her side. "What happened to you, Braeburn?" she hissed as she wobbly got to her hooves. "What did Sombra do to you?"

"Silence!" Braeburn snapped. "You two are to be sent into the dungeon interrogation."

"Interrogation!" both unicorns gasped.

"What the hell for?" Trixie snapped back.

"Espionage." Braeburn replied coldly. "Now no more questions!"

Rarity and Trixie gulped in unison. Sweat now running down their face as their hearts started to pound against their rib cage. Their cover has been blown. But by who?

**X.X**

**Translation: what Braeburn meant by "interrogation", he meant "torture by Sombra and Twilight". And sorry if the little scene between Sombra and Twilight...disturbed anyone ._.**

**So the big reveal will begin...in the next chapter :p. Stay tune!**

**xSOLO GAMERx: Glad you like it. When I was younger I was actually a Pegasister. But I sorta grew out of it over the years.**

**Shade the Dark Latios: Here's the newest chapter! XD**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Here they are! ;D**

**Fan: You'll just have to wait for the next chapter, I'm afraid. ;p**


	21. Chapter 21

**Warning: Torture, disturbing imagery, blood, and a very sadistic Twilight ._.**

**X.X**

The castle gave off a foreboding sense of dread the closer both Rarity and Trixie got. Both unicorns only fixing their eyes on the ancient black structure embedded into the mountain face. The steps leading up to the main entrance, a pair of large double doors with vinelike patterns carved into it, seemed to go on forever. The night went on like normal. By now the moon was midway in the starry sky. Obscured by clouds as they tore away from the large white sphere in the sky.

Rarity wanted to go home. She really missed her friends. Her family. Spike...

She couldn't help but wonder how the baby dragon was holding up. She didn't regret telling him about her secret mission before she went off for training. It was enough to ease the little dragon into knowing why she would be gone for a while. She honestly didn't know how long she would've been gone if she wasn't in this situation right now. The white unicorn suddenly heard huffing beside her and turned to notice that Trixie was slowing down. Huffing and panting as though she had just finished a marathon.

"Trixie..." she whispered low enough for the blue unicorn to hear.

The blue unicorn raised one ear up slightly before turning her entire head to look at Rarity with droopy eyes. "What?" she whispered back. Sounding as though she could drop any minute from exhaustion.

"Don't give in..." Rarity said. "You must stay strong. You have to find a way to endure whatever Sombra has in store for us.

"Easy for you to say..." Trixie grumbled as she struggled to stay awake.

"Hey! Hurry it up you two!" Braeburn snapped at them. Clearly looking impatient. Rarity shot the stallion a glare, but wisely said nothing in retaliation.

"R-Rarity..." Trixie gasped. Her legs beginning to wobble. The chains not helping one bit. Rarity immediately got to her side to stable her walking. A hint of a smile appeared on Trixie's lips. For once showing gratitude towards something.

They soon arrived to the castle. The double doors opened with a loud groan. Both unicorns suddenly cried out in surprise when sacks were suddenly placed over their heads. Both of them screamed, only to be told to shut up by Braeburn. Rarity felt herself being torn away from Trixie's side and started to struggle in her chains.

"Rarity? Rarity?" Trixie cried frantically as the guards led her in the opposite direction.

"Trixie!" Rarity cried back, "TRIXIE!"

Trixie's voice suddenly seemed very distant. Rarity was panicking so much that she couldn't concentrate hard enough to use her magic. She was clueless as to where the guards were leading her. Everything was dark; mixed in with the blurred glows of what she believed to be candles. She couldn't make out the moonlight that shone through the large arched windows to their right. Rarity gasped frightfully when she heard a door open and she found herself walking down a spiral staircase. She squeaked in fear when she heard the door slam close and it echoed eerily around her.

She nearly fell forward once they reached the bottom. Having not noticed the last step. Luckily she managed to catch herself in time before one of the guards barked at her to keep walking. She hadn't known how long she'd been walking until she heard what sounded like another door open. She cried out when she was suddenly shoved in and fell to the cold floor. Panic started to fill her when she suddenly heard the door close behind her and frantically tried to get on her hooves.

"W-wait! Aren't you going to remove the sack? Come back!" she cried. It didn't even take Rarity a second to realize that she was now alone. She couldn't help but think about Trixie. She wondered where the blue unicorn was. She didn't expect them to separate them. The white unicorn then swallowed nervously. She has a feeling that this is something _far _more then just an interrogation.

"My...this isn't the kind of reunion I had in mind." a voice suddenly purred.

Rarity froze. She didn't even hear them come in! "W-who's there?" she called.

There was a soft, faux gasp that soon followed. "Rarity, I'm hurt! How could you not recognize my voice?" The entire cell suddenly fell completely silent. So silent that one could hear a pin drop. Twilight smirked and slammed the door shut behind her before using her magic to lock it. Grinning when she saw her former friend flinch in reaction to it. "But no matter." she then giggled, "It'll make things much more funner for me!"

What? Rarity wanted to ask before she suddenly felt herself being lifted off the floor and suddenly slammed onto what she guessed was a chair. Her front hooves being forcefully chained from behind. The white unicorn gasped for air as soon as the sack was removed and the dim glow of a torch greeted her. It took a full minute for her mind to finally settle down after all the thoughts that were frantically rushing through ceased.

"Oh, my. You haven't changed a bit, Rare. Is that a new haircut? Oh, no, wait. It's not. Still sticking to the pathetic curls as always." Twilight _tsked_ in the darkness.

"W-who are you?" Rarity snapped. Her voice quivering. "Show yourself you coward!"

In the blink of an eye, Rarity suddenly received a sharp slap. A stinging feeling that lingered on her now red cheek. Rarity fought back the tears that threatened to fall and desperately wanted to caress the red mark. But she couldn't even move her hooves.

"There. Now _that _finally shut you up." her attacker said.

Rarity narrowed her eyes in the direction of the voice and felt a rage being to ignite in her. A rage she's never felt before in her life until now. No pony's _ever _slapped her before. Nor did she ever think it would happen. As a foal, her parents would often discipline her by taking away her dress up kit and sending her to her room for a few hours. It seemed like nothing now, but it certainly did the trick.

"Who are you?" she asked again. Her voice cracking slightly.

A giggled answered her. Followed by a wicked cackle. "How long has it been. A year? Two? Oh, I don't know. I've not been keeping track as of late. But perhaps an adorkable egghead like myself would've known anyway."

Then it hit her. Rarity felt her lips quiver and she suddenly found herself lost for words as her captor finally stepped out of the shadows. Revealing an armored alicorn. Despite all of the changes in her appearance, Rarity immediately recognized the smile on her face. The same one she would've seen every day whenever she and their friends met up.

"Twilight Sparkle?" she asked softly.

Twilight's right eye twitched at the mentioning of her former name, but managed to maintain her current composer. "It's Twilight Terror now, Rarity. Sparkle didn't sound all that threatening or foreboding." she said. Talking to her in the fashion she use to do when they were friends.

"No... It can't be..." she heard Rarity suddenly whisper.

"Pardon?"

Rarity looked up at her with a sullen, confused expression. "We all thought you were dead. We saw the tower crumble before our own eyes! We didn't think anypony would've survived!"

Twilight narrowed her eyes at the unicorn with burning contempt. "So _that's _why none of you came to my rescue? Because you all thought I was fucking dead!" she screamed. Angrily stomping her hoof to the floor and leaving a small dent. Rarity pressed herself back against the chair in pure horror when she noticed her eyes suddenly glow green with purple smoke coming out from the corners. Reminding her a lot of Sombra.

"T-Twilight..." she said shakely. "W-why are your eyes like that? What did King Sombra do to you?"

A dark smirk appeared on Twilight's face as she glared wickedly at Rarity. "He helped open my eyes, that's what." she said as she walked over to a wooden table hidden in the shadows. "He made me realize that you and the others care nothing for me. That all of you abandoned me because of all the danger I put everypony through." Twilight spoke softly as she looked through the variety of knives and other tools with a half-lidded gaze.

Rarity gave her corrupted friend a quizzical look. "What? We didn't abandoned you. We would ne-"

"DON'T SAY IT!" Twilight suddenly screamed. "DON'T FUCKING SAY IT!"

Rarity immediately shut her trap and merely looked at the alicorn with a frightened look. Just what did Sombra do to the friendly, book loving unicorn she once knew? More so, how the hell did she become an alicorn? Twilight must've gone through serious business in order to earn her wings. Twilight seemed to calm down a bit and she turned back to the table. Hovering her hoof just above the tray of tools.

"What's your greatest fear, Rarity?" Twilight asked as she examined a knife casually before placing it back on the tray.

"What?" Rarity asked. Her voice quivering.

"Don't tell me you fear nothing, now. Everypony has something they fear. Whether it's death or rejection." Twilight swung her head over to the unicorn and gave her a disappointed look. "Seriously, Rare. I expected better from you."

Rarity narrowed her eyes and frowned. Twilight saw this and laughed. Her cold voice bouncing off the stone walls of the cell. She picked up a scalpel and happily twirled back to Rarity with an excited smile on her face. "We're gonna have so much fun!" she giggled happily. Sounding more like an excited filly than anything else.

Rarity's eyes widened with horror as a creepy, wide crescent shaped grin slowly stretched itself on the alicorns face while her irises shrunk to the size of marbles. "I am going to enjoy breaking the likes of _you_." she said in a slow, ominous tone that would've made foals cry. Rarity gulped and began to struggle weakly in her chains. She threw her head back as far as she could and shrieked when she felt a sudden pain in her skull. Barely catching a glimpse of Twilight's curved horn glowing a dark aura as she casted a spell on her.

"Go to sleep, Rarity." the mare cooed.

Rarity's world went black after that.

_Rarity found herself surrounded by a crowd of ponies. Royals to be exact. The mare watched anxiously as Celestia examined the dress she had worked very hard to make for her. The alicorn suddenly looked over her shoulder and, to her surprise, glared at her with disgusted eyes._

_"This dress is a DISASTER!" she spat. Taking Rarity by complete surprise and causing her to recoil back in fear. Celestia used her magic to tear up the dress before her eyes before having the shredded cloth rain over the white unicorn. "You called that a dress? That is perhaps the worse excuse for a dress I've ever seen!"_

_Rarity looked up at Celestia with frightened, sorrowful eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Princess! I don't what went wrong. I-I followed your request exactly as you said!" _

_Celestia snorted and rolled her eyes. As if annoyed. Around her, Rarity noticed that the ponies were laughing at her rather mockingly and cruelly. Calling her names that shouldn't even be said to a mare. Rarity sniffled and felt herself close to tears as the laughter grew colder and colder, and the insults slowly turned into death threats._

_"Stop it! Please!" she screamed. Clutching her head with both of her hooves in an effort to block out the laughter and threats. She then looked up at Celestia with pleading eyes. "Please give me a second chance, Princess! I'll try harder. I promise!"_

_"Don't make promises you're not going to be able to keep, Rarity!" the princess spat Rarity's name as though it were a bad taste in her mouth. She then turned and left. Leaving Rarity at the mercy of the crowd._

_"Princess! Wait!" Rarity cried. Reaching out for the alicorn princess as the crowd viciously forced her on her back. Allowing the males to surround her and give her sinister, hungry looks. Rarity screamed as they came for her._

Rarity's eyes snapped open as she screamed herself awake. Only to scream louder when she felt Twilight suddenly run a scalpel down her cheek. Swiftly leaving a thin, bleeding cut behind.

"Daaaaaaawwwww. What's the matter, Rarity?" Twilight asked in a mock concerned voice. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Rarity found herself panting and in tears. She let out another scream when she felt Twilight carve the outline of a heart around her cutie mark. Digging into her fragile skin and causing some blood to leak out. She whimpered when Twilight suddenly brought her face up to her's. That psychotic look still present as she held the slightly bloodied blade directly in between her eyes. Rarity could only wince in disgust and horror as she slowly ran her tongue up the bloodied blade.

"_Mmm_." Twilight said fondly as she licked her lips of any blood that remained. Savoring its taste. "Your blood taste like sweet sugar mixed with honey." she gave Rarity a sadistic look. "I must simply try more."

Rarity didn't even have a second to protest before she felt an agonizing pain coming from the right side of her flank. Twilight had carved an even deeper heart shape around her cutie mark. Sucking and licking the blade as though it were a popsicle. She giggled when she saw the look on Rarity's face and expertly wrapped her tongue around the cold metal.

"If I were a vampire, I would've sucked you dry by now." she purred.

"T-Twilight..." Rarity whimpered. "W-why are you doing this?"

But instead of answering, Twilight simply grabbed her skull and yanked her forward until the tips of their noses were touching. "Are you grateful for the life you have, Rarity?" she asked slowly.

"What does that have to do with-AIIIIYYYEEEEEE!" she screeched when she felt Twilight's grip tighten. "Y-yes." she whimpered. Twilight then laughed a bone-chilling laugh.

"Oh, you're such a good liar, Rare." she said fondly as she walked over to her tray of tools. Setting the scalpel down to pick up a bigger knife instead. She held the knife up to Rarity's face for her to get a better look. The white unicorn could only shiver in intense as she gazed at her slightly distorted reflection on the stainless steel blade. "You're just like every other pony who's lied and betrayed me. And now... I finally have the chance to start my revenge!"

Without warning, she dug the tip of the knife into the thin cut she left on Rarity's cheek earlier and viciously pulled down. Replacing the thin cut with an open gash. Rarity screamed in sheer agony. Finding it hard to do so without having to stretch her mouth. She felt the muscle still holding her cheek together pull each time she moved her jaw. Her salty tears causing it to sting in pain.

Twilight laughed in sadistic amusement. Giving her former friend a gloating look before bringing the knife over to the heart outline around both her cutie marks and did the same thing. She alicorn let out a soft, shakey moan. Fueled by Rarity's screams and pleas as she maimed her. She even laughed in sheer delight when she got some blood on her. Lapping most of the blood off the knife, Twilight returned to her tray of tools and placed the knife down.

Rarity weakly lifted her head up to see her picking up an old looking hacksaw. The white unicorn swallowed hard as sinister possibilities rushed through her mind. Twilight noticed the fearful expression on her face and giggled playfully.

"T-Twilight...please..." Rarity whimpered as she wept quietly. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry for what happened to you. We didn't know. Honest!"

Twilight silenced her with a harsh slap across her wound. Rarity cried louder from the pain as her cheek swelled. "Shut that fucking trap of your's before I decide to saw off one of your limbs; which is actually something I plan to do later. But first. I want to see you break." Twilight then viciously grabbed her horn and placed the hacksaw against it.

Rarity's widened with horror and she desperately tried to shake her head. "Nononononononono." she pleaded repeatedly. "Nonononononono. Please. Don't do this, Twi! This isn't like you!" Rarity pleaded frantically. But it only motivated Twilight to proceed what she was about to do. In rapid movement, the alicorn proceeded to saw her horn off. Pumping her arm as fast as she could to dig the blade into the rough horn.

Rarity wailed for Twilight to stop. Attempting to move or shake her head would result in another slap across her open wound. Already her cheek was swollen to a point she couldn't even move her jaw any more. There was a loud crack before she felt her horn suddenly being pulled of her head. She then gasped in horror when Twilight showed her her severed horn.

"I think I'll keep this as a trophy." Twilight said as she examined the white horn. "Plus I'm getting very tired. I used up most of my strength earlier for my beloved king." Twilight giggled at the fond images in her head. She then gave Rarity a sadistic grin before walking out of the cell and slamming the door behind her.

Leaving Rarity to sob and cry as blood and tears rained down her face.

...

Trixie hugged her knees against her chest after hearing Sombra close and lock the door behind him. Tears pouring down her face as she whispered repeatedly to herself. Saying "stop it" over and over again as images from her nightmare lingered in her fragile mind.

_I have to get out of here, _she thought. _I have just enough strength to find Rarity and get us back to Ponyville at least. It's not safe for us to be here anymore. _

As Trixie shakely got back on all fours, she threw up. The nightmare Sombra forced her to endure for what felt like hours took a major toll on her. Using her wrist to wipe a bits of vomit off her mouth, she concentrated on getting to Rarity. During her torture, she had heard her anguished screams outside her cell. Mustering all of her remaining strength, Trixie prepared to teleport to Rarity's location.

"Hang on, Rare..." the blue unicorn grunted weakly. Struggling to even stand. "I'm coming to the rescue. And I'm getting us the hell out of here."

She teleported.

**X.X**

**O_o**

**Normally I don't write Physical Torture. But it was necessary for this chapter. Sorry Rarity! :(**

**Northgalus2002: Thank you so much! And don't worry; answers to your questions will come eventually. ;3 And yay! Cupcakes! (Hopefully they're not Pinkie Pie's XD)**

**Lusaphira: Hope you liked this chapter! :) And don't send Nightmare Moon after me! XD**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Thanks! ^-^**

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: Yeah... Sorry if the Psychological Torture was bad.**

**Fan: Here's the reveal! **

**Wild Heart1997: Thanks! I hope this chapter's good.**


	22. Chapter 22

Princess Celestia sighed softly as she finished the last of her paperwork for the morning. She had hoped it would take her mind off of Rarity and Trixie, but it wasn't enough. She's worried for the both of them. It's only been three days since their capture. Thus today would be marking the fourth. The alicorn stood up from her throne and walked over to one of the stain-glass windows depicting the Elements of Harmony defeating Nightmare Moon.

Her eyes trailed over to the small image of Twilight Sparkle. A tear rolled down her face as she thought about the young unicorn. She missed her...so much... The alicorn princess found herself unable to remove her dead student from her mind. When she saw something that reminded her of Twilight, it would bring back memories of the days before the incident in the Crystal Empire. Before King Sombra's return. Back when everything was just right in Equestria. There was the incident with Discord and the Changelings, yes, but all of that had been taken cared of with the Elements.

"I should've known..." Celestia whispered to herself. Closing her eyes as tears proceeded to roll down her cheeks. "Oh, Twilight... I should've seen this coming... King Sombra was just too powerful for you. I should've gone instead. Or perhaps I should've sent Luna with all of you..." The alicorn sighed sadly and turned away to from the window and slowly walked back to her throne.

"Princess?"

Celestia stopped and turned. A bit surprised to see a certain alicorn she hasn't seen since Twilight and Shining Armor's death. "Cadence." she said in a slightly surprised tone of voice.

"In the flesh." the other alicorn laughed softly.

Celestia merely smiled before the two embraced in a tight hug. "I've missed you..." Celestia said during their hug. "The castle didn't feel the same without you around."

"My psychiatrist suggested that I stayed somewhere away from Canterlot to help clear my mind of the events." Cadence chimed. Smiling softly. It felt good to be in the arms of her adoptive aunt once more. She really missed being around other ponies besides her psychiatrist. Stay a full year in the woods was exactly what she needed at the time. It allowed her to clear her mind in an undisturbed environment free from the stress of losing her husband and sister-in-law.

"You must tell me of your stay in White Tail Woods." Celestia said after breaking their hug and made their way over to one of the large arched windows.

"It was definitely calming." Cadence replied. "At first, I didn't really want to stay. But over time, I got use to being alone. It helped me accept the fact that both my husband and sister-in-law are dead. But..." she looked up at Celestia and gave her a small smile. "I'll see them again, eventually. For now I'm going to have to learn to move on with my life and let go of the past."

Celestia nodded. "That's the Cadence I know." she said fondly.

"So how are the others?" Cadance asked.

"Luna's still Luna." Celestia laughed softly.

Cadence giggled. "And...how are Twilight's friends?"

"Fine, I assume." Celestia replied. "They've grown slightly distant from one another, but still good friends. Although her death has affected them greatly."

"As it did to everypony else..." Cadence added softly.

"But let's not dwell on the past so much." Celestia said, placing her hoof on her adoptive niece's shoulder. "Twilight would want us to move on. It's the least we could do other than finding her killer."

Cadence sniffled. "Speaking of killer, did you find _him _yet?"

Celestia sighed and shook her head. "We haven't had much in the last year or so. But I've turned my attention on a different matter, however."

"'Different matter'?" Cadence repeated. She's been living in White Tail Woods far too long. Her doctor had given her little news about the outside world in hopes it wouldn't raise her depression more. "What's been going on?"

Celestia fell silent. The last thing she wanted was for Cadance to get involved. It looks as though she's gotten over Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle's deaths, and she intended to keep it that way. If Cadence were to find out about the attacks in Appleloosa, Cloudsdale, and Dodge Junction, she would be more than willing to join whatever plan she had. She had already lost her precious student, she doesn't want to lose her precious niece.

"Princess?" Cadence asked. Noticing that something was troubling her.

The double doors to the throne suddenly slammed open and a guard came galloping in. "Princess!" he gasped. Quickly removing his helmet and bowing his head before speaking once more. "Princess. I've received news that the unicorns you sent to Dodge Junction have returned."

"What?" Celestia asked. Sounding and looking surprised.

Cadence now felt confused. "What is he talking about?" she asked.

"I'll explain everything later." Celestia replied quickly before turning back to the stallion. "Where are they now?"

The guard then swallowed and placed his helmet back on. "Ponyville Hospital. Rarity's been...severely wounded."

...

"Please! I need to see her!" Spike begged the nurse at the counter. "She's my friend! I must see if she's alright!"

"I'm sorry, Spike." the nurse sighed sadly, "But we cannot allow visitors for her at the moment. She's just gotten out of surgery." The Nurse quickly regretted mentioning that when she saw the horrified look suddenly appear on the baby dragons face.

"Surgery!?" he cried. "For what!? Is she alright? Will she live? Please! I need to see her!"

He then heard the doors open behind him and he turned to see Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Sweetie Belle, all entering the waiting room. "Spikey!" Sweetie cried before she ran over and embraced the baby dragon as tears started to rain down her cheeks. "Spikey. What's going on? How's Rarity doing? Is she alright?" she asked worriedly.

"I-I don't know, Sweetie." Spike's voice quivered. "T-the nurse said they just finished performing surgery on her."

The unicorn filly's eyes widened in horror. "Surgery!?" she screamed. "For what!? Is she alright!? Please tell me she's alright!"

"It wasn't for anything serious." the nurse suddenly spoke. "The doctors just had to...reattach and sew up some things."

"Reattach and sew up what?" Fluttershy asked.

The nurse really didn't want to have to tell them. Thankfully, the phone started ringing. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to get back to all of you later." she said politely answering the phone. The group frowned before sighing in defeat.

Just then a pair of double hospital doors opened and a familiar blue unicorn walked out with a sad expression on her face. "Hey! It's Trixie!" Pinkie Pie said while pointing a hoof over to her.

"Trixie!" Rainbow Dash called.

"Huh?" Trixie looked up just as the group suddenly surrounded her. From there they started to bombard her with questions. She felt relatively uneasy and finally yelled, "BE QUIET!" The group finally fell silent and she sighed in relief.

"Trixie. What happened?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"What happened to you and Rarity?" Applejack asked.

"Are you both alright?" Fluttershy asked.

"Why do you look so beat up?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Why did my sister have to take surgery?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Is Rarity going to be alright?" Spike asked.

Trixie's left eye twitched and she sighed a long sigh. "It's...a long story." she said.

Trixie then spent most of the morning talking about the events that had transpired during her time in Sombra's domain with Rarity. She quickly learned that Celestia had informed all of them about the mission while Rarity told Spike the night before she left for training. When she finished, it left the others with more questions than answers. While Pinkie Pie was busy eating some cookies that were available in the lounge, the others were busy taking in what Trixie had told them.

"So that's why you look so beat up?" Spike asked. Gesturing to some of the bruises she had on her body.

"Yeah." Trixie replied quietly. "When I refused to answer his questions, that's when he took action. But even a simple beating wasn't enough to break the likes of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" she added proudly. "But that's when he attacked me with a nightmare spell. And believe me...it was the most horrible thing I've ever had to endure." The blue unicorn shuddered at the memory and quickly took a sip out of her drink.

"What could be so bad about a silly ol' nightmare?" Applejack asked as she casually took a drink out of her cup.

Trixie surprised everypony when she suddenly slammed her cup down and gave Applejack a terrified look. It was enough to give the Earth Pony chills. "You don't understand!" she cried as her voice cracked. "You just don't understand what I had to go through! I wasn't just _any _old nightmare. It was my worse nightmare! Something I hope to never ever see again! I was horrible! Just horrible!" the blue unicorn soon broke into tears when she buried her face into her arms. Sobbing quietly to herself. "I-I would've rather had him beat me to a bloody pulp than have that nightmare again!"

"Don't cry, Trixie!" Pinkie Pie said as she gently rubbed her back. "You won't have to see that big meanie Sombra ever again!"

"You guys don't what he's capable of." Trixie whispered ominously. "He's no ordinary unicorn. He's the embodiment of evil itself! I can't get his fucking green eyes out of my head. And that smile... I keep seeing his smile whenever I close my eyes!" Trixie gripped her head and pulled on her mane a bit. "I can't make the images go away! Please! Somepony make them go away!"

Spike said nothing. He knew exactly how Trixie felt. He remembered the cursed door he and Twilight had to endure while looking for the Crystal Heart. What he saw in there still haunts him to this day. He just prayed Rarity didn't have to go through it as well.

"Where was Rarity in all this?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Trixie looked at the filly with sad eyes. "I could hear her screams from my cell." she said monotonously. "Somepony was torturing her as well. But I don't know who."

"So..." Sweetie Belle swallowed nervously. "That's how she got her injuries?"

"I'm afraid so..."

"Poor big sister!" Sweetie wailed as she burst into tears. Spike immediately went over and wrapped his little arms around her to comfort her.

"First Twilight... Then Braeburn... And now Rarity!? Why won't Sombra just stop!" Fluttershy cried. "I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM, I HATE HIM, I HATE HIM! Why can't we all live in a world where there's no evil? Why must this happen to us!? We did nothing to deserve this! NOTHING!"

Her friends looked at her in silent shock. She rarely, if ever, yelled like that. But anger she had been keeping bottled up since Twilight's death was finally unleashed and took a toll on her. "I just... I just... I just want everything to be back to the way it was! I want to see Twilight again! I want Rarity to be alright! I want Applejack's cousin to be nice again! I just want everything back to normal!"

"Everypony wants it to be like that again, Shy." Rainbow Dash said sadly. "But that's life! We can't let Sombra destroy us like this! If Sombra wants a war! Then he can have a war! He's harmed others for far too long! This needs to end and it needs to end NOW!" the blue pegasus slammed her hoof on the table. Catching the attention of some other ponies nearby. None of the others said a word.

A nurse suddenly stepped out of the elevator and approached them. "Rarity is ready to see all of you." she said.

...

Rarity could only stare at her reflection in the mirror she held in her hoof. Her eyes fixed on the ugly stitched up wound on her cheek. It was definitely going to leave a scar and was beginning to think she couldn't show her face in public ever again. What were her friends going to think when they see her like this? What's Spike going to think? She heard the door creak open and she quickly had her mane cover her cheek.

"Big sister!" Sweetie Belle squealed happily as she ran in and jumped into her sisters arms.

"Sweetie!" Rarity said happily. Hugging her sister happily. But it didn't end there. Rarity soon found her friends jumping onto her bed and giving one big group. Trixie, however, simply stayed by the door and smiled.

"We missed you so much!" Pinkie Pie sobbed.

"Don't do something stupid like that ever again! Or else I'll have to tie ya to a damn tree!" Applejack added fondly.

Rarity wanted to say something back, but she found it hard to breathe. Her friends finally released her from their death-grips and she took in large gulps of air. Sweetie cocked her head curiously when she noticed her horn was missing.

"What happened to your horn, Rarity?" she asked.

"Sweetie that's rude!" Fluttershy scolded gently.

"No, no, it's fine." Rarity assured her.

Spike then noticed the stitches hiding behind her mane and he gently brushed it away to reveal it more. Rarity, surprisingly, did nothing to stop him. A few of her friends let out soft gasps of surprise. "Who...did this to you?" Spike snarled.

Rarity tensed. She didn't want to tell them the truth. She still refused to believe that the pony she saw was Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle would never do this to her friends. Plus Spike would be heartbroken if he found out. "I...can't remember." she lied. Thankfully they all bought it. She then sniffled sadly. "I'm hideous now." she whimpered.

"No you're not, Rare." Rainbow Dash said.

"Yeah! You're still the pretty Rarity we all know and love!" Pinkie Pie added.

Rarity smiled sadly before shaking her head. "Thanks you guys. But it doesn't change the fact that I'll have a big ugly scar on my face and around my cutie marks for the rest of my life. I guess I'll have to put on some make up just to hide it."

"No." Spike said firmly. "Don't hide it."

"Why not?" Rarity asked.

"Because those scars would prove that you're a survivor. If you just choose to hide it, then that'll just make you look like a coward. Don't let some damn scars get in your way. Beauty isn't about your looks. It's about who you are on the inside. And all I see is a beautiful, generous unicorn who was able to survive the horrors of torture." Spike suddenly realized what he said and shyly looked away. But to his surprise, Rarity gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Spike." she said softly. "You have no idea just how much your words mean to me. I really needed that."

**X.X**

**xSOLO GAMERx: Um... I don't plan on having Luna captured and tortured...**

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: Me neither XD. Glad you liked it!**

**Wild Heart1997: Glad you enjoyed it!**

**Lusaphira: She didn't actually remove Rarity's cutie mark... But after reading your comment it gave me the idea to imply that she did so! XD**

**Northgalus2002: I actually have no idea how long this story will be. As for a sequel? I don't plan on making one. There's actually something else I've been thinking of doing. But that's a secret! ;p**

**My Demonic Heart and Soul: Yeah. Sorry about that :(**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: She didn't exactly save Rarity. But she managed to get the both of them out alive. :D**


	23. Chapter 23

**Note: this occurs three days later**

**X.X**

Rarity found herself unable to sleep that night. She stayed awake in her room while lying on her side to avoid putting pressure on her wound. Her back was facing the door so no pony would know she was awake. Patients were supposed to be asleep at this hour. Spike had to return home with Sweetie Belle, and Trixie was allowed to come along since she had no where to go for the night.

Earlier in the day, sometime around noon during a visit from Spike, Sweetie Belle and Trixie, princesses Celestia and surprisingly Cadence decided to come over. Celestia was horrified when she saw just how wounded Rarity was. It was after she sent Cadence and the others out did Rarity and Trixie explain their experiences and what they learned to Princess Celestia. Celestia looked a bit confused when they brought up the reason why Sombra had the ponies mine for crystals.

"I don't recall a species of dragon that only likes crystals in particular." she mused. "But I will keep this in mind. It's important to know if Sombra is really attempting to form an alliance with these dragons. It's unfortunate that I don't know much of his family's history." the alicorn was literally at a dead end that point.

Cadence was shocked when she saw the stitched up gash on her cheek. Thankfully she didn't need to see the stitches around her cutie marks. All in all, the pink alicorn was happy to see all of them.

The white unicorn sighed softly as she slowly let her eyelids close. Hoping for sleep to come and claim her once more. She placed her hoof above the stitches on her cheek and rubbed it lightly. Feeling the woven material embedded into her flash and skin that would leave a big, ugly scar as soon as they were removed.

But after what Spike had said to her, she didn't care about how she would look now. She was still Rarity; the Element of Generosity.

"This is all my fault." she suddenly heard somepony say outside her door. The voice sounded like Celestia's. "I should've never sent anypony in. I didn't think..."

"Stop beating yourself up about it, Aunt Celestia." Cadence stopped her. "At least they're home alive."

"Yes." Celestia agreed. "But that doesn't change the fact that the both of them had been seriously harmed. It'll be a while until they're healed both physically and mentally. But I do want to know who could've tortured Rarity to a point that they actually removed her cutie marks."

"Whoever did that to her is nothing but a horrible, mindless monster. Possibly worse than Sombra!"

"I'm just glad that they weren't killed and had their heads impaled onto pikes like Shining Armor..."

There was a brief moment of silence and Rarity tensed.

"I-I'm so sorry for bringing that up." Celestia added. She sounded regretful.

"It's...okay." Cadence assured her. "You're right. At least they didn't end up like Shiny. But what they went through must've been far worse than what happened to my husband..."

Rarity couldn't help but feel guilty for not telling the truth. But she just couldn't believe that the pony who had done this to her...was Twilight. Of all ponies, as well! She closed her eyes and thought back to the day where it all began. When Twilight Sparkle was looking at all of them with a determined smile on her face. Convincing herself that she would past Celestia's test.

The Twilight she saw now is...something else entirely. She didn't want to think about it, but it continued to weigh on her mind. She tried to remove that creepy, almost psychotic grin and those marble sized irises from her head and replace them with the faces of her friends and family. Knowing that only them would drive away the horrible images in her head.

"I must find out who these dragons are." Celestia whispered. "If what they said about the dragons are true... Then we're heading in to something very big."

"You told me that they both mentioned something about Sombra being a runaway Prince. Before his corruption." Cadence said. "Is it possible that he could be the same Prince who vanished from the Obsidian Empire a thousand years ago?"

Celestia gave the younger alicorn a confused look. "The Obsidian Empire?" she asked. "I've never heard of such an Empire."

It was then that Cadence slapped her face and inwardly called herself an idiot. "That's right. I forgot to tell you and Luna about it. The Obsidian Empire was an empire that rivaled the Crystal Empire. From what Shiny and I learned during our first stay in the Crystal Empire is that the Obsidian Empire quickly fell soon after their King and Queen had died. With their Prince missing, they had no pony to lead them. So the empire crumbled after 2,000 years of rule."

"It's incredible that you know all this." Celestia complimented.

"There's more." Cadence added. "It's said that the Obsidian Empire participated in the Great Dragonic War; or _Lot Dragonic Kein_, as they call it."

"The language of the Dragons." Celestia whispered in surprise. "No pony's spoken in Dragonic since the Great Dragonic War. How do you know this?"

"I learned Dragonic from a book in the Crystal Library. But I still haven't completely mastered the language."

"We must return to Canterlot at once and tell Luna about this. She was in on the plan as well and deserves to know. Perhaps I should've brought her along."

"Knowing Luna, she would've attempted to kill you if you woke her from her afternoon nap." Cadence laughed softly.

As their voices grew distant, Rarity looked over her shoulder and towards the door. Great Dragonic War? Language of the Dragons? What in Equestria is going on!

...

Black Fire stood on an outcrop overlooking the lush green land that surrounded the Crystal Empire in the horizon. The empire itself gave off a soft blue glow underneath the moonlight, making it all the more beautiful. The crimson pegasus pressed his black wings against his armored body and grimaced. He _hated _it. The mere sight of the empire made him feel sick to his core whenever he had to look at its pathetic blue color, or glittering structures.

He could remember his days as a young colt. Unlike the other Crystal Ponies, he never had that glittery coat and good looking mane; it often made him a constant victim of bullying and mockery amongst the other Crystal foals. He was that one foal who often kept to himself and stayed hidden in the shadows. He often found sanctuary within its dark, cold depths. He mostly saw it as a home more than anything else. He felt safe and secured.

But even the darkness wasn't enough to protect him from the harshness of reality and everyday life. It wouldn't be for a couple more years, in his early days as a Stallion, would he finally meet a pony who would truly accept him: Sombra. When he first met the black unicorn, he seemed like the type you would become friends with easily. He was both friendly and charming, he must admit. He caught the attention of all the young mares around the Empire. But he wasn't the sort who would take advantage of that.

That's why so many ponies liked him at the time. When a mare would attempt to get it on with him by inviting him to their home, he would politely reject the offer and go back to reading his spell book. That was the soul purpose he came to the Crystal Empire after all. But that all changed, one day, when he killed their king and claimed the throne instead. Black Fire couldn't see himself working in the mines. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And surprisingly enough, he doesn't regret it. He rose up in the ranks at an amazing rate. Probably the most devoted follower Sombra had. While everypony wondered why the charming unicorn they all thought they knew had changed, he didn't care as much. Sombra had shown him acceptance, and not the sort of rejection he was used to getting. So he was more than happy to do whatever he ordered him to do.

He spotted a faint silhouette in the horizon and smiled as his raven grew closer and closer. Soon the black bird was perched on his shoulder, happy to finally rest after a three day flight from Canterlot. "Hello, old friend." he greeted the bird warmly as he used his hoof to stroke it underneath its beak. "What news has Amber Leaf given us?"

The raven landed in front of him and nudged the scroll it had in its talons forward. The crimson pegasus read the scroll silently to himself before his eyes widened in shock. He quickly snatched the scroll up in his mouth and launched himself into the cold mountain air. Spreading his black wings while his fateful raven flew by his side. It wasn't a long before they found themselves landing in front of the castle entrance. As soon as the double doors opened he galloped in at a speed that would outrun any marathon runner. He then burst into the throne room and skidded to halt before the King and Queen.

"My...King... My...Queen." he panted as he did a quick bow. "I've...received a message...from Amber Leaf."

Sombra and Twilight looked at one another. Since Trixie and Rarity's unfortunate escape, they've been eager to hear any news from their little spy in Canterlot. Black Fire placed the scroll down before them. Sombra then used his magic to bring it over and unrolled it so that he and Twilight could both read it. It didn't take long until a displeased growl was heard coming from Sombra's throat.

"They know...about the dragons..." he snarled. Feeling his anger spike as his nostrils flared. He then angrily got off his throne to viciously stomp his hoof down. Creating a soft echo throughout the large room. "Send a message to Queen Chrysalis." he said as he rolled the scroll up once more. "Tell her that her services are needed immediately."

"Yes, my king." Black Fire said before bowing deeply.

As soon as he left the throne room with his raven, Sombra unleashed a roar of rage. It was enough to cause Twilight to flinch in her throne as she watched her husband fume over the dreaded news.

"It was supposed to be top secret!" he yelled as he paced back and forth. "They were NOT supposed to know about the dragons! When I find out who fucking told those little whores, I will make sure they suffer a slow and painful execution by me!"

Twilight decided it would be best if she didn't say anything and allow him to rant. She was _very _pissed when she found out about Rarity and Trixie managing to escape. And to think she had plans for dismembering Rarity later that morning. She was indeed looking forward to it. To hear her anguished screams and taste her sugary blood once more. The thought gave Twilight pleasurable goosebumps.

Sombra slowly walked back to his throne and sat on it. Sighing heavily. Twilight looked over to her husband before getting off her throne and straddled herself on his lap. Wrapping both arms around his neck and kissing down his jaw softly. Sombra relaxed in his throne and wrapped one arm around the small of her back and pressed her closer.

"What does this mean now, my love?" Twilight whispered against his chest.

A small, malicious smile suddenly curled up on his face and he chuckled darkly. "It just means that we have to push our plans back a few days."

Twilight looked up at her king. Her eyes widened and glittered with excitement when she realized what he meant. "You mean... We can..."

Sombra hushed her with a deep, loving kiss. "Yes." he murmured. "We are. Tomorrow night."

Twilight threw her head back and laugh maliciously. Feeling an adrenaline of excitement kick in as she thought about the plans they had in store tomorrow.

**X.X**

**Sorry for the short chapter :|**

**Lusaphira: Thanks! I'm really glad you like the chapter. :3**

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: I wouldn't exactly say I'm good. But thanks for the compliment! ^-^**

**Wild Heart1997: I'm afraid that won't happen for a while ;)**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Applejack didn't know Twilight was involved. **

**Northgalus2002: I like added little moments like that between the others :). I'm glad you liked it!**


	24. Chapter 24

The pink train came to a halt in the Ponyville train station with a trail of smoke on its tail. Strongheart and her new friends were standing there anxiously for the doors to open. The buffalo calf felt rather uneasy, however. She was worried about how this Babs Seed filly would think of her once they meet.

"I'm sooo excited to see her again!" Apple Bloom said excitedly.

"It's been so long since we've last seen each other." Scootaloo added.

"Do you think she brought us any presents?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Sweetie Belle." both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo said in unison. Giving her a are-you-serious look. The unicorn filly simply giggled in response before receiving a playful punch to her shoulder. Meanwhile, Strongheart shuffled her hooves shyly.

"Is something wrong, Strongheart?" Apple Bloom asked when she noticed the uneasy expression on her face.

"What? Oh. I-it's nothing." Strongheart replied with a sheepish grin. But the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't buy it one bit and quickly surrounded their buffalo friend.

"There's no point in trying to hide it, Strongheart." Scootaloo said gently.

"Are you just nervous about what Babs Seed will think about you once she sees you?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Strongheart sighed in defeat and nodded her head shamefully. "What if she doesn't like me because I'm not a pony?" she said.

"Don't say that!" Scootaloo said.

"Yeah! Babs may seem like a scary filly at first. But she's actually sweet once you get to know her." Apple Bloom added. "My big sister told us that she was actually bullied in the city for not having a cutie mark. So that's why she was mean to us at first."

"Don't worry. Just give her a chance." Sweetie Belle said.

The train doors then hissed open and the silhouette of a rather strong looking foal appeared in the smoke. When the smoke cleared, it revealed a rather shy looking Earth Pony foal with a brilliant gamboge colored coat and a short light brilliant amaranth with brilliant amaranth streaks. On her face were some freckles with a pair of moderate spring bud colored eyes.

"Babs!" the Cutie Mark Crusaders squealed happily.

Babs Seed gasped happily once she saw her friends and they happily embraced one another in a giggling pile of fillies. "I've missed you guys so much!" Babs said.

"So did we!" Apple Bloom giggled. Soon the group dispersed from the pile and got back on their hooves. "Babs. There's somepony we'd like you to meet." Apple Bloom before gesturing her hoof over to Strongheart. "This is our latest member to the Cutie Mark Crusaders: Little Strongheart. She's been staying with my family for a while now."

"H-hello." Strongheart replied as she shyly rubbed her left front hoof.

Babs eyes glittered with curiosity and interest. "I've never seen you around these parts." she said as she walked up to her to get a better look. "Are you a buffalo?"

"Yeah, actually."

"That's so cool!" Babs Seed grinned. "I've never seen a buffalo before. Only in books and on t.v., though. But seeing one in person and up close is so cool!"

Strongheart perked her ears up in surprise and managed to put up a small smile. "Thanks. You're not the first pony who's said that to me."

Apple Bloom and the others giggled as they surrounded them. "Come on!" she said, "We have a lot to catch up on. You would not _believe _what's happened lately."

...

"So what do you think?" Spike asked after he handed Rarity a bouquet of purple and white flowers. "When I saw them I immediately thought of you. So I figured I'd get you some." Spike then played with his fingers nervously as he bit his bottom lip. "So...do you like them?"

Rarity looked up from the bouquet and smiled fondly at Spike. "They're beautiful, Spike." she said as she placed them in a vase by her bed. "I'm really glad you bought them for me. That's really thoughtful of you."

Spike blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I figured you'd like them."

Rarity giggled. "So is there anything new I should know about?" she asked.

"Other then the fact that Babs Seed has arrived from Manehattan, nothing much. Trixie is surprisingly doing well in the shop."

"Ah. And how is Trixie?"

Spike tensed slightly and seemed a bit hesitant to answer. "She still has nightmares about what happened to her." he said. "Sometimes I would come in and see her either crying or fighting off something that isn't there. I had to get Sweetie Belle to help me wake her up. I honestly don't know if she'll ever recover from what she'd endured."

Rarity silently trailed her eyes down to her lap and thought silently to herself. She knew how Trixie felt. She often found it hard to sleep nowadays because of the images she would see whenever she closed her eyes. Twilight's demented smile was forever etched into her mind like a permanent tattoo. She quickly shook away those thoughts and concentrated on Spike's visit. She was glad to have at least somepony to talk to. She also found herself growing more attached to the baby dragon then ever before.

"How about you. Is there anything new about yourself?"

"Nah. I'm still the same old Spike everypony loves."

Rarity giggled again and fondly patted Spike's head. "Oh, Spike. I don't know what I'll do without you..."

...

"I heard about what happened to your friend. I wish her the best of luck in her recovery."

Rainbow Dash smiled at the white stallion walking beside her. "Thanks. I'll tell her that on my next visit." she said. Star Knight smiled back. Rainbow Dash couldn't have been more lucky to have come across Star Knight during a flight over Ponyville. She trusted him, to be honest. He was a great pony to talk to during dark or depressing times. And he would always be there listening. That's what she liked to see in ponies. Listen first, questions later.

"There are rumors going on in Canterlot that there could be a spy amongst our ranks." Star Knight said.

"How so?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Ponies often see a black bird flying to and from Canterlot Castle every three days with something in its talons. But no pony has ever attempted to approach it."

"How long has it been coming there?"

"Three months or so. It's really hard to say."

"But what does this have to do with the rumor of there being a spy amongst all of you?" Rainbow Dash cocked one of her "brows" up curiously and waited for an answer.

"That's the thing: it's only a rumor." Star Knight replied. "Any pony could say that there's a spy amongst us. With the shit that Sombra's been causing and all, it's difficult to say who's good and who's evil. Half of my colleagues just want to get into the action already."

Rainbow Dash sighed softly when she heard this and shook her head silently. If only they witnessed what happened in Cloudsdale. What they had to endure there. Sometimes during the night, Rainbow Dash could hear the anguished screams of the soldiers that died there playing back in her head like a never-ending tape stuck on "Replay". She moved her eyes over to Star Knight slightly and caught a glimpse of the jagged scar that formed where the stitches attaching his wing had been.

"You know, Dash." Star Knight said. "This may sound easy for me to say, but you need to let it go for a change."

Rainbow Dash snapped her head over to the other pegasus and gave him a scoff. "What does _that _suppose to mean?" she asked.

A mischievous smirk appeared on Star Knight's face and he suddenly poked Rainbow Dash's side. Catching by complete surprise as he zoomed ahead of her. "Let's see if you can catch me!" he called.

Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed and a competitive grin stretched itself across her face. "Oh, it's _on_." she said before picking up speed. Before she knew it she suddenly found herself a few feet from Star Knight, who was pumping his wings as fast as he could.

The white stallion looked over his shoulder and smirked when he saw her. He picked up speed and flew a couple more feet ahead of her.

"Shit." Rainbow Dash cursed under her breath as she pumped her wings faster. She's never felt this much competition since trying to stop Little Strongheart and her herd from stealing Applejack's tree. She then grinned when she found herself getting closer to Star Knight. Just mere inches from his flank. But Star Knight had a few tricks up his sleeves.

Without warning, he took a sharp nose dive. Surprising Rainbow Dash and causing her to slow down a bit. The white stallion closed his wings around his body as he picked up speed. Feeling the cool wind hit against his face in a frozen blast. Rainbow Dash growled in frustration before doing a nose dive herself. Soon they were side-by-side. Star Knight looked over to Rainbow Dash and gave her a wink before spreading his wings out and suddenly glided upwards. Rainbow Dash performed the same action just as easy.

_He's teasing me! _she thought to herself.

Both Pegasi flew mere inches off the ground at lightning speed. They flew through the busy streets of Ponyville and left a few surprised ponies behind. They eventually reached the large clearing outside of town. From there, Dashy took Star Knight by surprise and suddenly tackled him to the ground. Both were laughing as they rolled across the grassy ground in one another's grasp. When they stopped, Star Knight was hovering above her.

"Boy...you weren't kidding...when you told me...you were good at flying..." the white stallion huffed.

Rainbow Dash gave him a tired laugh. "Yeah... When I say something... It's always the truth..."

"I've noticed that."

They both laughed softly. Feeling completely exhausted from their little match. Star Knight opened his eyes and froze when he looked deeply into Rainbow Dash's. Rainbow Dash cocked her head slightly and blinked.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No." Star Knight breathed. "Nothing's wrong. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"I've come to notice that you have beautiful eyes." Star Knight whispered. Almost in a dreamlike state.

Rainbow Dash was unaware of it, but her face was beet red when he said that. She brought her hooves close to her chest and shyly looked away from the stallion. Feeling a bit embarrassed when she heard him laugh gently before he rolled over and layed beside her in the grass.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." he assured her. "It's the truth. Although you've probably been told that many times before."

"I have, actually." she admitted. "But your's is probably the most sincerest I've ever received from a stallion."

Star Knight smiled and he affectionately cuffed Rainbow Dash underneath her chin. "You're truly something one of a kind, Rainbow Dash. I don't think I've every met a mare such as yourself. Your friends are luck to have somepony like you with them."

"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash whispered. For the first time since Twilight's death, she felt something grow inside her. A warm and fuzzy feeling. She was beginning to think she was falling in love again.

...

Cadence stared out the window of her old bedroom within Canterlot Castle. It felt odd, after almost a year of isolation, to be sleeping in a proper bed within civilization once more. But she did enjoy being around the company of other ponies. Especially her adopted aunts. Since her conversation with Celestia, she's begun to dwell deeper into her research towards the long lost Obsidian Empire. Unfortunately the library had no books detailing on either the Obsidian or Crystal Empire. The only library that she knew that would have those books is the one in the Crystal Empire.

But... She wasn't to return to the empire yet. It would only bring back memories of that day. The day everypony's lives were changed forever. The princess sighed softly and turned away from the window and made her way over to the door. Celestia was currently busy, so perhaps Luna was available to talk with.

As she walked down the empty halls to Luna's chambers, Cadence allowed her mind to drift back to the days as Twilight's foalsitter. A small smile laced her lips as she remembered the cute secret hoofshake they both created during their foalhood. Oh, she really missed the good old days. The Alicorn then stopped when she spotted a white pony just beginning to move away from the throne room doors.

"Excuse me." she called.

"Eep!" the pony squeaked in surprise. Jumping slightly and immediately backing away when she saw Cadence. "I-I'm so terribly s-sorry." she stammered.

"Oh! No, no. It's fine." Cadence said gently as she approached the shaking pony. "Is something the matter? Werw you waiting to ask Princess Celestia something?"

"What? Oh, no. I was just...um..." the pony's eyes darted to the left briefly before looking back at Cadence. "On my way to the library. I'm afraid my curiosity got the better of me." she finished with a nervous laugh.

Cadence narrowed her eyes slightly in suspicion, but simply went along with it. "I've never seen you around here. What's your name?"

"Amber Leaf." Amber replied.

"Well, Amber, if you're ever lost, don't be afraid to ask me. I've lived in this castle since I was born."

"Sure." Amber Leaf replied before she turned away and quickly walked down the hall.

Cadence felt slightly uneasy around the pony. As though something wasn't right about her. She walked down the steps and peeked into the throne room. There she found her both of her adopted aunts talking about what Rarity and Trixie had said. Cadence slowly backed away and looked in the direction where Amber Leaf had disappeared in. Celestia did tell her that they had a Crystal Pony who managed to escape from Sombra's clutches.

But remembering what the conditions were like out there, she found it a little hard to believe. A young mare being able to escape without much injury, let alone not getting chased, sounds a little suspicious to her. And the rumors of a spy being in Canterlot didn't help either. She needed to speak with her aunts about this. Although it may sound a bit too soon, but she needed to point out the possibility that Amber Leaf could be a spy, and not some innocent victim.

"Ah. Cadence." Celestia when she spotted the pink alicorn entering the throne room. "You're just in time. I was telling Luna about our conversation last night."

"Aunt Celestia. Aunt Luna. We need some to talk." Cadence said.

"Oh? About what?" Celestia asked.

"I just ran into that Crystal Pony you told me about." Cadence explained. "Normally I'm not one to judge another by their appearance or how they look, but there's something about this one that makes me uneasy."

Celestia and Luna looked at one another before looking back at their adopted niece. "How so?" Luna asked.

"I saw her near the doors a few minutes ago." she said. "It looked more like eavesdropping than anything else."

"Perhaps she's just waiting for me to be finished." Celestia said.

"I thought that too. But what about the rumors of a spy being around Canterlot? That certainly doesn't help with what I'm saying."

Luna titled her head to the side slightly. "Are you implying that Amber Leaf could be a spy for Sombra?" she asked.

"There is a strong possibility. This sort of stuff always happens in war. The enemy would send one of their own to act like some innocent civilian or soldier who's changed their ways, but when really they're actually listening in on important conversations like this. As a matter of fact. She could be listening to us as we speak."

The entire throne room fell silent at that moment. "But we're not at war." Celestia said before she turned her over to one of the windows and watched the sunset outside. "Not yet, that is." she whispered.

Meanwhile listening from the double doors, Amber Leaf cringed and quickly made her way back to her room. Once inside she locked the doors just for safe measures and went over to her desk. From there she took out a sheet of paper and a quill and proceeded to write down everything she's heard. If what Cadence believes is real, then she's fucked.

**X.X**

**Zelfra1234: You'll find out...in probably the next chapter or the one after that :D**

**KleptoManiac: Better to be safe than sorry XD. But thanks!**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Hehehehehe :). And thanks!**

**ATurtle: XD Lol!**

**Wild Heart1997: Thanks! :3**

**Northgalus2002: You'll just have to wait and see ;)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Warning: Violence and death. Not for the faint of heart or mind.**

**X.X**

Nurse Hale, having spent an entire day giving the guards present in the Crystal Empire check-ups, was just cleaning up her stuff for the night when she heard a soft groan behind her. Her ears perked up and she snapped her head over her shoulders to see Flash Sentry regaining consciousness.

"Good Celestia of the sun." she whispered before she quickly went over. "Flash Sentry! Can you hear me?"

"N-nurse?" the young stallion murmured as he opened his eyes for the first time in three months. His vision was nothing but a blur. Nurse Hale was nothing but a large blur of cherry red mixed with cream. Flash Sentry started to panic slightly. "I-I can't see. Why can't I see?!"

"Calm down, Flash!" Nurse Hale said gently, but firmly as she gripped his hoof. "You've been in a coma for three months. It'll take a while for you vision to settle.

"T-three months? It only feels like seconds..." The pegasus relaxed in his bed and sighed. Nurse Hale chuckled softly and gently stroked his slightly lengthened mane.

"You just wait right here and I'll let the others know you're awake."

"Ok..." Flash Sentry closed his eyes and relaxed as he regained all of his senses. He began to recognize the strange scent of oils and other medicines of the medical bay. He heard some guards talking just outside his window. Standing across the street from the building. Slowly he regained his memory of what happened previous to his coma. His eyes suddenly snapped open while his ears perked up in alarm. He shot up in bed and frantically tossed the blanket aside.

Nurse Hale stopped and turned to see what Flash was doing and was alarmed when she saw him attempting to get out of bed. "Flash Sentry!" she gasped as she quickly ran over to push him back in bed. "You just woke up! Your body won't be able to handle you walking."

"You don't understand!" he cried. "I have to see Commander Wind Dancer immediately! It's very crucial that he knows about it!"

"Just stay here and I'll get him for you." Hale said sternly as she finally managed to hold the pegasus down. "Don't do anything funny. I'm not afraid to use a sedative on you if I have to."

"Yes, ma'am." Flash Sentry sighed. This wasn't like him, normally. But he _must _tell his commander what happened. The images of that day played back like a silent film. And to think it's only been three months. He soon broke into tears when he remembered seeing Twilight. Snuggled up by Sombra's side and looking perfectly happy. He choked and gagged a bit on his tears. His heart racing the harder he cried as his tears hit the white bed sheets like rain.

...

Apple Bloom woke up to the sound of whimpering beside her. The filly fluttered her eyes open tiredly and looked around her room to find Winona, the family dog, looking out the window whimpering. Pawing at the glass gently and nervously.

"Winona?" Apple Bloom yawned as she crawled out of bed and trotted over to the anxious dog slowly. "Is something wrong? Do you need to go potty?" she asked. The dog merely whimpered in reply and continued to paw at the glass. Her eyes fixed at the mountains beyond. Apple Bloom looked in that direction and blinked curiously. "I don't see anything wrong" she said.

The both of them then jumped when they heard a crash downstairs. Winona's ears perked up in alarm and she immediately ran out of the room and went downstairs. "Winona!" Apple Bloom called quietly before going after the dog. "Winona! No! We need to wake up Applejack or Big Macintosh!" When she reached the bottom of the steps, however, she screamed at what she found.

Laying on the floor in a puddle of her own blood, was Granny Smith. A knife taken from the kitchen sticking out of her chest. Winona was whimpering and gently nudging the old mare in an attempt to "wake her up" before sitting by her side and letting out a mournful howl.

"Granny, no!" Apple Bloom wailed as she fell to the floor and sobbed.

"Apple Bloom?" she heard her older sister's tired voice call from downstairs. "What in tarnation are you doing up this late? Do you have any idea what time it-" Applejack's voice trailed off when she saw their grandmother lying on the floor. "Granny? Granny!" Applejack cried as she quickly ran over to her grandmother's side and frantically checked for a pulse. Her heart quickly sank when she didn't feel one. "N-no..." she whispered. Tears beginning to brim her eyes.

"AJ? Apple Bloom? Just what the hay are you two doing down here-" Big Macintosh, like Applejack, never finished what he was going to say as soon as he spotted their grandmother on the floor. "Granny Smith!" he cried.

"S-she's gone, Big Macintosh." Applejack said tearfully. "She's gone."

Big Macintosh's ears flattened against his skull sadly and he pulled both his sisters in for a hug.

"GRAAAAAAANNYYYYYYY!" Apple Bloom bawled against her brothers warm body. Burying her face in his fur.

Applejack and Big Macintosh cried the hardest. They haven't cried this hard since the death of their parents and finding out what happened to Braeburn a few weeks back. Winona sudden raised her head in alarm and snapped her head over to a corner of the room. She quickly got into a defensive stance and growled dangerously.

"What's wrong, Winona?" Applejack sniffled.

There was a sudden loud screech and a foal sized creature lunged out from the darkness. Winona immediately tackled it back. Snarling and snapping her jaws at it before letting out a terrified whimper.

"Winona!" Apple Bloom cried.

Applejack's eyes suddenly burned with rage. No pony hurts her dog like that! She lunged into the spot where Winona had been fighting the creature and attacked it. Cussing and smashing her hooves down on it. "NO PONY-MESSES-WITH-MY-FAMILY!" she roared as she gave the killing blow and caused the critters skull to cave in.

Big Macintosh flipped the switch and the lights flickered on, revealing the entire scene. Winona was curled up against the couch with a wounded paw while Applejack was standing over the intruder, covered in blood. Applejack remained silent for a full minute from both the rage and shock she felt. She had just killed another living being. Killed it in a rage she's never felt before. But after finding her grandmother dead, and witnessing her dog get wounded, she couldn't help it.

"AJ?" Big Macintosh asked softly as he gently placed his hoof on her shoulder.

Applejack looked up at her brother with wide eyes. Splotches of blood covering her cheeks and forehead. She immediately embraced him in a tight hug and cried. Big Macintosh, a bit surprised, hugged her back and did his best to calm her. "Hey now. There's no need to cry. It's alright." he crooned soothingly in her ear.

Apple Bloom comforted Winona as she wrapped a bandage around her wounded paw. "You were a good doggy, Winona." she cooed. "You're a good doggy!" Apple Bloom then giggled when Winona licked her face.

Applejack pulled away from her big brother and the both of them looked down at the dead intruder. "What in Tartarus's name is this damn thing?" Big Macintosh asked as he nudged the creature. "I've never seen the likes of it before."

"But _I _have." Applejack whispered. Still in a state of shock. The creature she had just killed was none other then a mere Changeling. Now lying on the living room floor with a large hole in its skull and a horrified expression forever plastered on its face. "But that's impossible. My friends and I got rid of them two years ago in Canterlot during Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's wedding!"

They suddenly heard a loud scream coming their barn outside and the trio exchanged horrified expressions. "Strongheart!" they cried in unison before they frantically ran out of the house and galloped over to the barn. Big Macintosh tackled the doors open and the trio were greeted with Strongheart fighting off a group of Changelings.

"Help!" she cried after she roughly bucked one off and used her back legs to kick another away.

"Hey! You leave her alone you bullies!" Apple Bloom screeched before charging head on into the group.

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack yelled before charging in as well. Big Macintosh didn't take long to follow suit.

...

Sweetie Belle screamed just as Spike slammed a book at another Changeling that was approaching them. Trixie stood protectively in front of the filly and casted one of her spells at the approaching Changelings. Either blowing them back or teleporting them outside. Only for them to come crawling back in. Outside they heard the swarms or Changelings attacking Ponyville. The screams of surprised and frightened citizens weren't enough to block out the sound of their buzzing wings.

"There's so many of them!" Spike shouted after hitting another. "We can't fight them off forever!"

"Isn't there a way we could contact Canterlot somehow?" Trixie asked after casting another spell. This one causing a Changeling to crash through a window.

"There is." Spike replied before slamming his book down on a Changelings head. "But we have to get someplace safe. I can't write and send a letter with all these pests around!"

"Who are you calling pestsssss?" a Changeling hissed. Clearly offended along with its brethren.

"Whoops." Spike said before he quickly backed away from the now enraged Changelings. "T-Trixie? Is there a way you could somehow teleport us someplace safe? Like, I don't know, anywhere!"

"I could try." Trixie replied. "But I need to know what location you want us to go. I just can't teleport us anywhere randomly. We could end up someplace we might not want to be!"

"Just get us the hell out of here!" Spike finally snapped.

"Look out!" Sweetie Belle shrieked.

A Changeling suddenly lunged forward and tackled Spike to the floor.

"Spike!" Trixie cried before suddenly finding herself and Sweetie Belle surrounded by the other Changelings. She casted a spell and managed to teleport a few away. But the gap was quickly filled in by other Changelings.

"Go!" Spike roared as he struggled to hold off the Changeling attempting to rip his face off. "I'll catch up. Just get to someplace safe!"

"I know a place where we can go." Sweetie suddenly gasped. She then tugged on Trixie's hoof and gestured to an open doorway. "This way!"

Trixie nodded and casted one last spell at the approaching Changelings before following the filly up the steps. Like a pack of hungry wolves, the Changelings followed suit. A few of them licking their chomps hungrily as strangely colored saliva hit the floorboards. Spike grunted and let out a might roar as he kicked the Changeling off of him and dashed up the steps after the others.

Sweetie Belle led Trixie down the upstairs hallway until they made a right turn and ended up at a dead end. From there she removed a large, square shaped chunk of the wall. Revealing a secret passage way big enough to fit an adult pony. "Inside. Hurry!" Sweetie said. Trixie immediately dove right in and Sweetie followed. Placing the wall piece back in with her magic. "Just keep crawling down the tunnel until you find a ladder leading up." the young filly instructed.

Trixie did as she was told, and soon enough she found a ladder leading up. After doing a quick test to make sure it was safe to use, she climbed upwards. In just a minute she soon found herself in a fairly large space filled with old furniture and mannequins covered in dusty white sheets. Sweetie Belle followed in and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Rarity used to come here and hide from our parents whenever they got mad." she explained. "But it's been so long since she's last used it."

"I didn't even know you had an attic." Trixie said as she examined an old piece of furniture. There was a sudden loud noise beneath their hooves and both mares froze.

"Trixie? Sweetie?" Spike called from below the ladder.

"Spike?" Sweetie called as she peeked down. "Is that really you?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" the baby dragon asked.

"Remember. Changelings are known to take the shape of any creature it pleases to be." Trixie warned. "Ask it something only Spike would know."

Sweetie nodded. "Hey, Spike! What's Rarity's favorite color?" she called.

"Rose red, of course." Spike replied. Frowning. Of course he'd know what Rarity's favorite color would be. He then heard Sweetie Belle giggle.

"It's Spike." she said to Trixie. "Come on up!"

Spike climbed up the ladder and fell to the floor in exhaustion. "Talk about a rude wake up call." he huffed.

The Changelings had attacked them a few minutes ago. It all happened so fast for them. One minute it was all peaceful and quiet, then the next all hell broke loose. They were lucky enough to reach the safety of the attic without the Changelings truly noticing.

"I better get to work on writing that S.O.S letter to Celestia." Spike then added. Both Trixie and Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry I couldn't just teleport us to Canterlot." Trixie sighed. "I still haven't fully healed from using that long-distance teleportation spell."

...

Rainbow Dash and Star Knight flew over the chaos in Ponyville. Attacking the Changelings that surrounded them.

"There's one coming your way!" Star Knight called.

Rainbow Dash threw a punch at the approaching Changeling and watched plummet to the ground. "Thanks." she said. Giving Star Knight a smile.

Star Knight smiled back before he grabbed an attacking Changeling by the arms and flung it at two more Changelings. The Changelings collided and fell downward.

"We have to find Scootaloo!" Rainbow Dash called. "She lives all by herself. I can't just leave her alone like this!"

"Lead the way to her home!" Star Knight called back. "We'll find and have her with us!"

Rainbow Dash nodded and quickly led the other pegasus in the direction of the home Scootaloo lived in. Since the death of her parents a few years back, the small filly had been living all alone in her home. While a few ponies volunteered to look after her, Scootaloo assured them that she would be fine by herself. But during a time like this, Rainbow Dash could only pray that her number one fan hasn't done anything rash.

"Help me!" a little voice screamed below.

Both Pegasi stopped in mid-flight and looked to the ground. There they spotted Scootaloo standing on the rooftop of her home. Backing away from a group of Changelings. Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed as a new wave of adrenaline filled her.

"Hang on, Squirt!" she howled before diving downward into the swarm.

Scootaloo's eyes flashed with hope when she spotted her hero diving down to her rescue. "Dash!" she cried happily. Star Knight fought back the Changelings that threatened to stop Rainbow Dash from reaching the filly. Rainbow Dash unleashed a battle cry as soon as she landed behind the group of Changelings. From there she tackled herself into the group and defeated the Changelings one by one.

...

Rarity was hiding under her hospital bed as she listened to the Changelings outside pounding against her window. Desperately trying to break in. Overwhelming fear for her friends and family dominated her like a drug. She could only hope and pray that they would make it out alive.

...

"STALLIONS!" Celestia boomed throughout the throne room. She had just received the S.O.S letter from Spike and rage quickly kicked in. "Head to the armory! I've just received a letter that Ponyville is under attack!"

"You heard the Princess, Stallions!" the Captain roared. "Saddle up!" The Royal Guards nodded and immediately ran out of the throne room.

Using her magic, Celestia brought out her golden halberd. A weapon she hasn't used since her last encounter with Nightmare Moon. And something she hoped to never have to use again. Luna was already in the armory preparing for battle. She had Cadence watch over Amber Leaf. Just to quell her suspicions. Soon the first and second squadron of royal guards took to the skies. Their golden armor and weapons flashing underneath the moonlight as they made their way over to Ponyville. However. They failed to notice the large mass of black armored Pegasi coming in from the mountains.

Twilight Terror flew with her soldiers alongside Black Fire. While Black Fire had his dearest halberd with him, Twilight's choice of weaponry was a curved, amethyst colored scythe. When raised in the sky, it looked like a purple crescent moon. Down below, just outside of Canterlot itself, Braeburn and his ground army of Earth Ponies waited patiently for the signal to strike. Outside of Canterlot Castle, Sombra and his unicorns stayed hidden in the shadows. After a half year of planning and strategizing, with help from Twilight, his plan was finally being put into action. And things couldn't go any better for him. While Celestia and her stallions were focusing on what was happening in Ponyville, they wouldn't suspect anything to happen in Canterlot. He had a hunch that one of the ponies there would send a letter for help eventually.

Twilight found herself approaching Canterlot Castle closer and closer. She flashed a dark grin as adrenaline pumped through her veins. She soon heard the bells going off. Alerting everypony in the castle of their approach. That was Braeburn and Sombra's cue to strike. Sombra and his unicorns stormed into Canterlot Castle. Using their magic to protect themselves while Twilight and Black Fire's army attacked from above. Braeburn and his ponies layed waste to Canterlot itself. Killing or capturing any pony they saw fit. Destroying homes and businesses with little to no mercy in mind.

...

During the chaos, Celestia's garden remained untouched. The stone statutes that decorated the place could only watch as everything went to hell in a matter of minutes. Amongst the statuses was a unique looking one. A creature made up of many animals parts soon found himself on the verge of breaking free from his stone prison once more.

...

Celestia looked out the window in sheer horror when she saw that Canterlot was up in smokes. She didn't expect this sort of thing to happen. Not like this...

"My. Still weak and helpless like always." a rich, chilling voice purred from behind her.

Celestia shuddered when he heard him laugh next and slowly closed her eyes tightly. Using her magic to hold onto her weapon tightly, she slowly turned around to come face to face with a unicorn she dreaded to see. Memories of Twilight's funeral and the vow she made to put Sombra to justice came rushing back and she snapped her eyes open. Sure enough, standing a few feet from her with his crimson scythe raised high and proud, was the infamous unicorn himself.

"Hello, _princess_." he crooned.

Celestia's eyes narrowed hatefully. "_Sombra_." she hissed.

**X.X**

**Cliffy! Sort of...**

**Lusaphira: You'll just have to wait and see in the next chapter! :D**

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: She's not going crazy. That's for sure ;)**

**Wild Heart1997: XD Lol!**

**Zelfra1234: She's not going craaaaaazyyyyyy! XD**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Hehehe ;D**

**Northgalus2002: Thanks! I hope you liked this chapter and the next! :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**Warning: Violence, Gore, disturbing content**

**X.X**

Celestia and Sombra circled one another slowly. Weapons raised and ready to clash with one another, just as they did one thousand years ago. The blades themselves still held the scratches from that very battle. A smirk was plastered on Sombra's face while Celestia had a scowl on her's.

"How long has it been since our last battle? One thousand? One thousand and one, perhaps?" Sombra mused.

Celestia narrowed her eyes in a deadly glare. "_Murderer_." she hissed. Her tone dripping with venom.

"Now what makes you say that, princess?" Sombra asked smoothly.

"You took the lives of two innocent ponies that day in the Crystal Empire. You changed the lives of many ponies. Including myself." A tear rolled down Celestia's cheek before she snapped her head up to Sombra and glared at him with the utmost hatred towards any pony she's ever known. "Twilight Sparkle was more then just a student. She was like the daughter I never had. I loved her like one. And you ripped her away from us!"

"That's a pitiful thing to hear, princess." Sombra yawned. "But I didn't come here to listen to your life story. Shall we continue what we left off one thousand years ago?"

"When my sister arrives, you will regret ever being released from your ice prison!" Celestia snapped.

Sombra laughed. "I'm afraid she won't be joining us this time. She's a little..._occupied_."

...

Luna grunted in pain as she skidded back. Placing her hoof over the fresh cut on her right arm before snapping her head up to her attacker. Tears filled her moderate cyan eyes as she prepared to launch another spell. "Please..." she begged, "Don't make me do this, Twilight. I know you're still in there!"

Twilight merely smirked before she launched another spell at her. Luna quickly dodged the attack and casted her own spell. "Still weak as ever, I see." Twilight said.

Luna narrowed her eyes and quickly wiped her tears away. Although she was still in shock by the fact that her attacker was none other then Twilight Sparkle. The unicorn, now alicorn, that was thought to be dead. Luna's noticed the drastic changes in her appearance and attitude. She wasn't the smart loving pony she once knew. This wasn't the Twilight who, along with her friends, reverted her back into who she is now.

"Twilight." Luna breathed as she got to her hooves. "Oh, Twilight. What did Sombra do to you?"

"He opened my eyes." Twilight replied in a straight-forward tone before she casted a nightmare spell.

Luna let out a horrified gasp as the world around her changed. _No... No! _she thought frantically.

...

"You're in for a big surprise, Celestia." Sombra said as he dodged another swing of her halberd before lashing out with his scythe.

"What kind of surprise?" Celestia asked. "Or do I even want to know."

Sombra flashed a wicked grin. Revealing his pure white fangs that weren't common for any pony to have. The dark unicorn laughed before he lashed out his scythe once more. "A kind of surprise that will shake you to your core."

Celestia growled in frustration before she casted a spell from her horn. Sombra immediately turned into his shadow form and allowed the attack to simply go through him as though it was nothing. He then returned to his physical form and casted a spell of his own. A beam of black magic shot from his horn and struck Celestia hard. The white alicorn screamed in surprised pain. But it wasn't enough to even cause her to stumble. She panted softly before glaring up at Sombra.

"I _demand _that you tell me, Sombra." she said in a firm tone.

Sombra grinned. This was the perfect time to give her a taste for what's to come later on. In a swift movement, he casted a spell upon Celestia. A thinner beam of black magic shot from his horn and it struck Celestia on her forward. The alicorn's eyes widened and she gasped a soft, surprised gasp.

...

Back in Ponyville, Applejack and her family were finding it harder to hold off the Changlings. "There's too many of them!" Apple Bloom cried as she huddled close to Strongheart. Applejack gritted her teeth in deep thought. They just kept on coming and coming like locusts. And they were starting to get exhausted. She looked over to her big brother and noticed that he was beginning to tire out. She was beginning to assume the worse when she heard a voice scream from the house.

"Cousin Applejack!" Babs Seed screamed as she ran out of the house in tears. "Granny Smith is dead! She's covered in blood and-" she stopped when she spotted the Changelings surrounding them. All fear and sorrow was quickly replaced with a burning rage and hatred that only Babs could get. "GET AWAY FROM THEM YOU FREAKS!" she screamed before she came charging in. Letting out a battle cry.

Applejack's eyes widened in horror. "Babs! Wait!" she cried. But she was quickly taken aback when she realized that the filly was having no problem dealing with the Changelings. She punched one here, kicked one there. She was using the things she learned on the streets of Manehattan. She's had to fight for her life before. So dealing with these Changelings felt like nothing.

"Get 'em, Babs!" Apple Bloom cheered her cousin on. Hoofpumping her hoof in the air.

Babs Seed beat the Changelings to a pulp. The remaining Changlings that were left standing backed away from the filly in pure fear as she slowly approached them with a look of murder in her eyes. "So. Who's next?" she asked. It was enough to scare them away. "And don't let me catch you here again!" she yelled after them.

"Babs!" Apple Bloom happily tackled her cousin in a tight hug. "That was amazing! How did you learn to fight like that?"

"Something my big sister taught me back home." Babs replied. "Is everypony alright? I was asleep when I heard Strongheart scream outside. I went downstairs and found Granny Smith on the floor..." her voice trailed off as tears started to swell up in the corners of her eyes once more. The same thing happened to the others as well.

"Granny..." Apple Bloom whimpered.

As much as she wanted to mourn for their loss, Applejack knew that their work was far from over. She immediately looked at everyone with a firm expression and said. "Something is obviously goin' on right now. I'm gonna head on over to Ponyville and help out my friends. You guys stay here and tend to Winona."

"No!" Apple Bloom protested stubbornly. "I'm coming too! I have friends too!"

"Yeah! The Cutie Mark Crusaders never abandon one another!" Babs Seed added.

"If they're going. I'm going." Strongheart said with a defiant look in her eyes.

Applejack liked at the trio and sighed heavily before she looked over to her older brother for help. The stallion simply nodded in approval. "Let them go, AJ." he said. "I'll stay here and take care of Winona. Their friends need them as much as your's need you."

Applejack looked back at the trio and nodded in defeat. "Fine." she groaned. "But try not to get hurt. Alrighty?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the trio said in unison.

...

Celestia stumbled away from Sombra. Her eyes widened in both shock and horror as tears started to roll down her cheeks. "No..." she whispered, slowly shaking her head. "No... It can't be... That can't be real..."

"And why can't it be real?" Sombra asked.

"Because she's dead. Y-you killed her. You..." Celestia found herself lost for words. The horrible images of Twilight Sparkle, alive, being tortured mercilessly for hours on end, were now fresh on her mind. The images and screams looked so real, that Celestia felt as though she was actually there in person. Watching everything happen before her very eyes.

Sombra chuckled darkly as he approached the distraught alicorn with his weapon raised. "She kept on telling me after each secession that you and her friends would to her aid. She cried out your name every night; just begging you to come to her rescue." he then swung his weapon down on her. Celestia immediately responded by swinging her weapon up and stopping the scythe from hitting her. While both weapons were locked, Sombra brought his face close to Celestia's and whispered in a soft voice that would've given anypony goosebumps.

"But you-never-_came_."

Celestia released a road of rage and pulled away from Sombra. Her eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring with hate and anger. "You sick BASTARD!" she yelled. "I will rejoice putting you down with my own hooves."

Sombra cackled. "Now _this _is something worth fighting for." he jeered before lunging himself at the alicorn.

...

"Take that!" Pinkie Pie screamed after hitting a Changeling across the face with a frying pan. "And that! And some of this! And that! And that!"

"Pinkie Pie!" Applejack called from her front door.

Pinkie Pie looked over and grinned happily when she saw hee friend. "AJ!" she squealed before hitting another Changeling.

"Don't move! I'm coming in!"

"Like I have a choice!" Pinkie Pie frowned. Finding herself standing on top of her kitchen counter with a swarm of Changelings surrounding her. Applejack frantically looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon. She found a large tree branch lying not far from them. AJ waisted no time heading over and snatching it up with her bare teeth. From there she stormed into Pinkie's home. Hitting the Changelings away like baseballs. One was hit so hard that they crashed out a window.

"Nice hit!" Pinkie Pie said after hitting a Changeling.

"Thanks." Applejack replied. "I just hope the others are alright. I'm more concerned about Fluttershy and Angel than anything else."

...

Fluttershy whimpered in pure fear as she crawled deeper underneath her bed. Holding Angel close as they listened to the swarm of Changelings buzzing around outside. Banging on her door and windows while searching for a way in her home. Angel whimpered in fear and snuggled close to the yellow pegasus.

"Ssh, ssh. Everything's going to be alright, Angel." Fluttershy whispered to the frightened bunny. Even though she wasn't so sure herself. The pounding on the windows and door grew louder and louder until they heard one of the windows suddenly break. Fluttershy squeaked before slapping a hoof over her muzzle while Angel retreated underneath her wing.

The Changeling that broke the window squeezed itself in and flew over to the front door and unlocked it. The Changelings that surrounded the house immediately flooded in. Fluttershy's eyes fixed themselves on the creatures as they went through her home. Clearly searching for her. On the verge of tears, Fluttershy closed her eyes tightly and silently prayed to Celestia that they would make their search quick and leave. She hasn't felt this much fear for her life since falling out of Cloudsdale during her foalhood.

_Please... Make them go away... Anypony... Please..._

...

Scootaloo watched as Rainbow Dash finished off the last of the Changelings. The blue pegasus panted and clearly looked exhausted. Bits of blood covered parts of her face and hooves. She turned over to Scootaloo and the vicious she previously had softened into one of concern. "You alright there, Squirt?" she asked gently. Rainbow Dash noticed that the filly was suddenly trembling. Tears pouring down her face, Scootaloo lunged forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her neck.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she bawled. "IT WAS SO SCARY! WAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Rainbow Dash hugged the filly back tightly. Like a mother comforting her foal, she whispered soothing things in her ear as she rubbed her back gently. "There, there, Scootaloo. Everything's fine. There's no need to cry now." Rainbow Dash felt tears of her own beginning to run down her face silently. She genuinely cared for the little filly like a sister. If anything were to happen to her...she would lose it entirely. She already lost two ponies she cared about closely, she didn't need to lose another.

What while the two enjoyed their embrace, A Changeling slowly crawled up from the house and onto the roof with a deadly glare in their eyes. When it proceeded to sneak up and attack Rainbow Dash from behind, it was quickly knocked off its feet when Star Knight swooped down from the sky with a pipe in his mouth and slammed it against its skull. The Changeling fell to the ground with a large hole in its skull.

Star Knight dropped the now bloody pipe and turned to both mares, who looked very surprised. "Are you both alright?" he asked. His green eyes showing deep concern.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "We are. Thanks." she replied as she stroked Scootaloo's mane.

Star Knight nodded and a look of sympathy flashed over his eyes when he saw Scootaloo's shivering form in her arms. "Poor thing." he murmured as he gently wiped away a few of her tears. "You didn't do anything to deserve this. None of us did."

Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on his shoulder. "We need to find my friends. Especially Fluttershy. She can't handle this kind of situation alone."

"Where does she live?"

"Just near the edge of the Everfree Forest." Rainbow Dash explained as she placed Scootaloo onto her back. "Come on. I'll lead the way." Both Pegasi didn't waste any more time and quickly launched themselves into the night sky once more.

...

Celestia let out a surprised cry when she felt the curved blade of Sombra's scythe scrape the surface of her neck. Tiny strands of pure white fur fall to the fur swiftly. Celestia skidded back and quickly placed her hoof over her neck to check if there was any blood. The blade had been mere inches from her neck, but luckily it didn't leave any sort of injury. She looked up at Sombra while panting softly.

Sombra let out an amused laugh when he saw the shock and confusion her eyes. "You've gotten quite stale, Princess of the sun. Still slow to react as always. Even Luna reacted faster than you."

Celestia narrowed her eyes before she slammed the end of her halberd down against the floor. Leaving a small indent. "You will pay for what you've done to my student!" she yelled defiantly. Her rainbow mane flowing elegantly behind her as it glittered underneath the lights. Sombra barely had time to even react when the alicorn suddenly teleported in front of him, taking him by complete surprise. She slammed both hooves down on his chest and pinned him on his back. She used her magic to toss his scythe to the side before bringing her halberd up to his neck.

Sombra felt the golden blade brush against his skin hiding underneath his fur. But instead of acting frightened or intimated, he remained calm and looked rather amused instead of afraid.

"This ends _now_, Sombra." Celestia said coldly as she pushed the blade closer to his neck.

Sombra's eyes glowed green as he let out a dark chuckle. "Sweet Celestia." he purred. "It's never over if my blood continues to flow through my veins." He used all four of his hooves and shoved the larger pony off. He quickly had his scythe back by his side. "I will say this: you're putting up a much bigger fight than your _precious _student."

Celestia growled and swung her halberd down once more. Sombra quickly dodged to the left and rammed into the alicorn. Pinning her down on her back against the carpeted floor.

"She is quite the delicacy, I must say. I sensed her defiance and innocence in her during each secession." Sombra brought his face closer to Celestia's until their snouts were mere inches from one another. "I found them..._delicious_." he whispered with a wicked grin.

Pure hatred and rage flashed across Celestia's eyes. She shoved the unicorn off without much problem and raised her halberd high while giving him a death stare. "Your crimes will not go unpunished, Sombra! I will rescue Twilight as soon as I'm finished with you!"

Sombra cackled. "Such devotion I sense in you towards your student." he said. "I will admit that I do enjoy her company. Never had I met a mare with such talent in magic such as herself. So young. So soft. So innocent..."

"Silence you fool!" Celestia screamed before a blast of light shot from her horn and headed straight for Sombra. Sombra easily dodged the attack by transforming into his shadow form once more and quickly changed back a few feet away. From there he casted a spell of his own. A beam of dark energy shot across the throne room and towards Celestia. Thinking quickly, Celestia shielded her face with the blade of her halberd and it shot back at Sombra.

The gray stallions eyes widened in both shock and horror as his own nightmare spell struck him head on. He stumbled back and dropped his weapon as the world around him changed into a different setting.

_A much younger Sombra found himself standing above the surface of a frozen pond. Shadowy entrails of what had been his evil doppelganger held him in place as the ice underneath his hooves began to crack. _

_"Sombra!" he heard Amber Leaf cry out to him from the snowy beach. His red scarf wrapped tightly around her neck as she looked at him with watery, fearful eyes._

_"Amber! Stay where you are!" he called back before grunting when he felt the shadows grip around him tighten and grow much heavier. The ice cracked at an alarming rate and Sombra felt himself begin to sink. He looked up at Amber one last time with a remorseful look and was about to call out to her when he felt the ice finally give out._

_"SOMBRA!" Amber screamed as he went under._

_Sombra's world was quickly replaced with different shades of dark blue. He kept his terrified gaze on the only source of light coming from the large hole on the ice. He reached one hoof towards, as though he was reaching for the light._

_**No no no no no, **__he thought frantically as he was dragged deeper into the cold water. __**I can't die. Not like this. Not by my own shadow. Not by the darkness...**_

_Sombra closed his eyes tightly and let out a silently cry as tears bubbled upward towards the frozen surface. The gray stallion felt himself slowly begin to fade in and out of consciousness as he wept to himself. Not caring if he was breathing in water. The temperature dropped to a dangerous level the deeper the shadows dragged him. The hole where he fell from looked very far away by now. Like a tiny star in a frozen blue sky that slowly dimmed out._

_His prayers for help to the Princess of the Sun faded as all hope of rescue diminished. Sombra never felt so much fear in his life. Everything was dark, and it felt so cold. He was lonely, and yearned to be on the surface with Amber Leaf once more. _

_**I'm a fool. A damn fool to think I could master dark magic so easily. Father and mother were right...**_

_Sombra found himself finally drifting away from consciousness and his thoughts remained on Amber Leaf. The mare he was going to propose to sometime in the Spring. He had visioned himself living out the rest of his days in peace with the mare he loved. Away from the drama of royalty and his parents. One final tear leaked from Sombra's eye and floated up to the surface until it disappeared from view. _

_"I'm so sorry, Amber." he whispered. Or at least tried to._

_His vision finally begun to fade, and everything became a blur. Finally accepting his fate, Sombra embraced the darkness. Prepared to face whatever afterlife that was in stored for him. But the fear her felt suddenly...vanished. Instead, he felt a warm sense of security and comfort as the shadows cradled him in its dark grasp._

_**"Poor, Sombra." **__he heard his doppelganger's dark voice coo in his ear. __**"You look so exhausted. Don't bother fighting anymore. Open your heart to the shadows. Let it embrace you in its comforting hold."**_

_Sombra weakly opened his eyes halfway and found himself staring into the pure green eyes of his evil twin. His dark copy flashed him a sinister grin as he held him in a tight hold. Any attempt to move and his grip would tighten. His touch felt ice cold against his skin._

_"No... I refuse..." Sombra whispered back weakly. He cringed slightly when he heard his doppelganger suddenly laugh. Sombra then gasped in surprise and whimpered when he felt a dark tendril gently stroke his cheek._

_**"Foolish stallion. You cannot escape your fate. You've made your choice in wishing to learn the secrets of dark magic. But don't worry. We, the shadows, will always be here for you. The light has done nothing for you. Let us in, and we will take you back to the surface."**_

_"I..." Sombra's voice trailed off as he melted in the shadows grasp. The embrace was warm and comforting. Soft like the blankets back home in the castle he lived in. He did his best to fight back, but to no avail. He felt so tired now._

_**"Welcome the darkness, Sombra." **__his doppelganger whispered. __**"Just open your heart and hold us close in it. We will never abandon you like the light."**_

_"..." Sombra felt himself losing his battle against sleep. He suddenly forgot he was even in a lake. Having not hit the bottom and seemingly remained floating where he was. Surrounded by nothing but darkness, with his doppelganger holding him tightly. It is because of this weakness did he finally give in to the darkness and opened both his heart, and mind, to it. _

_"No..." he whispered as the last of his mental barriers broke down and the darkness consumed him entirely and he lost consciousness completely. _

Celestia watched in sheer astonishment as the dark unicorn fell on his knees while gripping the sides of his head. Tears streaming down his face as he begged his unseen tormentor.

"Stop..." he whimpered. "Stop. Please. I don't want this. Let me go! Get out of my head. GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD!" The dark unicorn screamed as he suddenly slammed his head down against the floor repeatedly. Crying and screaming in a way Celestia's never seen before. If she didn't know he was under a spell, she would've thought he'd gone insane.

Slowly, however, his head banging ceased. He opened his eyes as the spell finally wore off after about thirty minutes. He blinked away the last of his tears as he pieced together what just happened.

"Sombra..." Celestia said. Her voice showing neither hatred or sympathy. "You attempted to master the dark arts by facing your shadow." she paused briefly. "But in the end you weren't strong enough to defeat him and gave in. The darkness you sought to tame, corrupted your heart and mind."

Sombra slowly narrowed his eyes up to the alicorn princess as one last tear trailed down his cheek and hit the floor. Green completely covered his irises as wisps of purple smoke blazed from the corners of his eyes like flames as pure rage and anger overwhelmed him entirely. In the blink of an eye, a suddenly blast of dark energy erupted from Sombra's horn and struck Celestia.

Celestia screamed in sheer agony as the blast knocked her off her hooves and caused her to crash against her throne. Breaking the back portion of it. The alicorn groaned softly to herself. Wincing at every attempt she made to stand. Her eyes snapped open fully when she felt herself suddenly being lifted off the ground before being slammed against a pillar and then the ground. She could've sworn she felt something break.

Sombra stood where he was. Panting as the green glow slowly faded from his eyes and the purple smoke dissipated. He approached the fallen alicorn with his weapon raised.

Celestia looked up at him and noticed that tears were beginning to fall from his eyes one more. Grunting in pain, she weakly lifted her head and spoke, "Is...isn't there a way to reverse it? Can there be a way to free you?"

Sombra suddenly threw his head back and howled with laughter. He then looked back at her with a maniac grin and a deadly look in his crimson eyes. "You're so very naive to think you could find a way to help _me _of all ponies. After all. _I _stole your precious student from you."

Celestia shifted slightly as she struggled to keep her head up a bit longer. "I realized you're not a bad pony... Sombra..." she whispered. "You're just a good stallion...who's been corrupted by the darkness...and imprisoned in his own body...as he watches his world fall apart..."

"SHUT UP!" Sombra screamed tearfully before slamming his hoof down on her windpipe. Causing her to suddenly gasp and choke for air. "YOU DON'T KNOW ME! YOU DON'T FUCKING KNOW ME YOU FUCKING WHORE! NO PONY CAN SAVE ME AND THAT'S FINAL!" He continued slamming his hoof down on her throat until he heard something snap. He glared hatefully at her as the last of his tears dried away.

Celestia suddenly found it hard to breathe. And she couldn't move her legs and wings all of a sudden. It brought her great alarm and she let out a weak cry when she felt a sharp pain suddenly bolt down her spine.

The double doors suddenly swung open. Sombra looked over his shoulder and smirked when he saw who it was. "Ah, here she is, my precious jewel."

Celestia barely caught a glimpse of the armored alicorn walking over to their location. She looked slightly worn out, and had a few light scratches on her armor and weapon. "My king~" she cooed as she reached up to nuzzle behind his ear. Sombra smiled and nuzzled back affectionately. Kissing the edge of her ear and causing her to giggle. Celestia's eyes then widened in recognition. She'd recognize that giggle anywhere. It was something she missed dearly since the day of the incident in the Crystal Empire.

"T-Tw-Twi-l-li-light?" she gagged. Struggling to even speak as her voice cracked. A wave of disbelief and sorrow over came her when her former student came into full view. Her entire appearance has changed, and she appeared to have matured a bit as well. And...wings! She'd received wings! Her dear student was now an alicorn. Tear brimmed her eyes as she struggled to say something else. But all that came out were gags and garbles.

Twilight narrowed her eyes down at her and _tsked _disapprovingly. "I expected better than this, princess." she said. Hatred lacing her tone. "Your sister didn't put up much of a challenge. She's currently busy, I'm afraid." a dark smirk suddenly stretched itself across her face. "Which should be enough time for me to have my revenge."

Celestia looked up at her student tearfully and struggled to talk. She yearned to talk to her. Comfort her and apologize to her. She yearned to have her dearest student back.

"I paralyzed her from the neck down." Sombra whispered in her ear. "So there shouldn't be any problems about her escaping."

Twilight looked up at her king and smiled lovingly at him. "Thank you, my king." she whispered be pressing a kiss against his lips softly. "You could join me if you like..."

"I'd love that." Sombra murmured.

Celestia let out a weak whimper as both ponies surrounded her. Clearly seeing the dark intentions they had for her in their eyes.

"You grab the left wing. I'll grab the right." Twilight said.

What? Celestia wanted to ask. But the realization came quickly when she felt them grip the edge of her wings with their teeth. A weak, piercing scream erupted from her throat when she felt her wings being ripped off her body. Skin and muscle following from behind. Large patches of red, pulsing muscles were revealed from where her wings had been. She heard Twilight giggle above her, but it wasn't the giggle she had grown use to hearing. This one sounded dark. Wicked.

"Let's see if we can do something about this horn, hmm?" Twilight mused as she tapped it with her hoof.

_No, _Celestia thought frantically. Not her horn. Anything but her horn. She looked up at her student with a pleading look, but it only fueled Twilight's sadistic urges. Without second thought, she grabbed her former mentor's horn and _yanked _it off. Celestia let out a silent cry when she felt her horn separate from her body. Skin and bits of flesh hung off at the end. Blood dripped from the strings of muscle that hung down.

Twilight let out a squeal of gloating delight as she gazed at the alicorn horn in awe. Sombra smiled as his heart swelled with pride for his young queen. Twilight looked over at him with a wide, psychotic grin before she tackled him to the floor in a heated kiss. Sombra sighed deeply in the kiss and wrapped his arms around her body. Pressing her closer as their bodies warmed underneath their armor.

"I love you." Twilight gasped after pulling away from the kiss. "Oh, I love you Sombra."

Sombra grinned darkly at his queen before he reached up to nibble on her ear. "I love you too, my sweet Twilight." he whispered lustfully.

Celestia watched in sheer disgust and horror as they embraced for another kiss. _Luna..., _she thought weakly. _Oh, Luna, please be alright. Help me..._

**X.X**

**Another cliffy! (And no. Luna's NOT dead)**

**Northgalus2002: Yeah. I forgot about Babs for a bit. XD**

**jojo90nation: Thanks! Glad to hear that. **

**xSOLO GAMERx: Here's another cliffy! **

**Wild Heart1997: Thanks! :D**

**My Demonic Heart and Soul: Yep :3**


	27. Chapter 27

**Warning: Violence, blood and death.**

**X.X**

Cadence watched the battle from behind the bedroom window. She gritted her teeth anxiously and looked away, unable to bare the screaming of horrified and dying citizens any longer. A tear rolled down her cheek as she felt helpless to do anything. Instead she was stuck with Amber Leaf, who was quietly sitting in the corner. Finally, after three hours of doing nothing, she stomped her hoof down.

"I can't take it any longer." she said. "I can't just stand here idly while my home is under siege!" She turned to Amber Leaf and, despite not trusting her for one minute, added, "I'm going out there to fight. You stay here and keep the door and window locked. Do NOT let any other pony in until I arrive back. Got it?"

Amber Leaf bobbed her head nervously. "Y-yes." she said.

Cadence nodded and then walked out of the room. Slamming the door behind her and using her magic to lock it from the outside so no other pony could go in or out. She still didn't trust her for a minute.

Once she found herself alone, Amber Leaf went over to the window to watch the battle wage on. She will admit that Canterlot was indeed beautiful, and she liked being treated nicely by the other ponies. But she had a duty to fulfill, and she accomplished it. It would only be a matter of time until either Black Fire or Braeburn would come barreling down the door to take her back. As much as she liked staying here, she was really getting homesick. And she missed her beloved king.

Looking away from the window, she went over to the dresser and pulled out the scarlet scarf she had worn since her arrival. She pressed her cheek against the soft fabric and rubbed against it as she thought of the days before all of this. Before she lost Sombra to the darkness. His greatest fear, after all, was getting pulled under by it.

He is beyond saving, now. And unfortunately for Twilight Sparkle, she is too.

...

Fluttershy fell into Rainbow Dash's arms in a sobbing mess while Scootaloo held Angel. The group stood outside of her home with Changeling corpses strewn around them. Star Knight walked out of her home, having finished off the last of the Changelings, and dropped the bloody pipe he had brought along. His mane was slightly messy, and blood covered his face and parts of his neck. Rainbow looked about the same, but covered in less blood.

"It was horrible..." the yellow pegasus whimpered in her friends arms. Clinging onto her as though her life depended on it. "Just horrible. They came out of nowhere..."

"Ssh." Rainbow Dash hushed her friend gently as she stroked her pink mane. "Everything's going to be alright, Shy. We're here now. We're going to find the others and we'll pull through this together." the blue pegasus added fiercely as she hugged her.

Angel whimpered in Scootaloo's arms and the filly gently patted him in between his ears. "Poor, Angel." she murmured sadly.

"Dash! Shy!" a voice suddenly called out.

The group looked over in the direction of the call and Rainbow Dash's eyes glittered happily when she saw Applejack and Pinkie Pie running down the path over to them. Fluttershy looked over as well and gasped in pure joy. "Pinkie Pie!" she cried happily.

"And AJ, too!" Rainbow Dash added. Both mares ran over and it wasn't long until they were captured in each other's tight embrace. "You're both alright!" Rainbow Dash said after pulling away from her tight hug with Applejack.

"My family's farm was attacked." Applejack explained. Her ears then flattened and she lowered her head sadly. "Granny Smith's gone..."

There was a brief moment of silence between all of them until Fluttershy walked over and nuzzled behind her ear affectionately. "I'm so sorry to hear that, AJ." she said softly. Pinkie Pie walked over and embraced her in a hug.

"Thanks, girls." Applejack said after wiping away a few tears. "But there's more important things to worry about. We still have Spike, Trixie, Sweetie Belle and Rarity to find."

"We all know that Rarity is at the hospital still." Rainbow Dash said.

"And Trixie, Spike and Sweetie are at the boutique." Pinkie Pie added.

"W-where's Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo suddenly asked. "Is she alright?"

"I don't know, honestly." Applejack replied. "She, Babs and Strongheart went into town to find you and Sweetie Belle."

"Oh, no!" the filly suddenly cried. "I have to find and help her! The Cutie Mark Crusaders always stick together!" Scootaloo was about to attempt to take off when Star Knight stretched out his hoof and stopped her.

"It's not safe to go alone, little filly." he warned. "You're going to have to bring some of us with you. Two, at least." Having been in the Guard for almost a year or so, he knew about this kind of stuff. It wasn't wise to go out alone during a battle like this.

"Pinkie and I will go." Fluttershy suggested softly.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Applejack, Star Knight and I will head over to Ponyville Hospital and get Rarity. You three head out to the boutique. Apple Bloom and the others are more than likely to head out there first."

"Got it." Scootaloo said after placing Angel on her back.

Rainbow Dash looked down at her number one fan and gave her a concerned look. Despite all that has happened, there was still a flicker of determination in the young mare. Behind those frightened tears is a very strong mare who is dedicated in helping her friends and becoming just like herself. She wouldn't forgive herself if something happened to her. But she knew she had to let her go.

"Be careful out there." she said while looking directly in her eyes, "Okay, Squirt?" The blue pegasus cuffed underneath her chin affectionately. Scootaloo smiled and gave Rainbow Dash an assuring pat on the shoulder.

"I'll be fine, Dash. Don't worry about me." she said.

...

Cadence galloped through the now ruined halls of Canterlot Castle. Running by guards who were busy fighting off enemy stallions. She made a swift turn and ran down an empty one. Intending on making her way to the main entrance. She managed to find a sword lying around and decided to use that as her weapon. Even though she's never, really, killed anypony before. The mere thought of taking another life sent chills down her spine.

But all around her she saw nothing but bloodshed and death. Outside the large arched windows that brought in the moonlight from outside, revealed the burning buildings in Canterlot and lit up the hall in a dim orange glow. Thick, gray clouds of smoke filled the night sky and clouded away the stars and the moon like storm clouds. Cadence was so busy keeping her eyes on the burning city that she didn't notice the mutilated corpse lying on the floor. She cried out in surprise when she tripped over it and fell to the floor. When she got up and looked over her shoulder to see who it was, her eyes widened in both shock and horror.

Lying on the was none other then Blueblood. The stallion had been torn and mutilated beyond recognition. The reason why she was able to recognize him was by his cutie mark. The stallion was missing all four of his limbs, and his eyes had been gouged out of their sockets and were lying a few feet away. Hairs from his mane lied strewn across the floor above puddle of blood that surrounded him.

Cadence winced at the sight before she quickly turned her attention back to her destination. Soon she skidded to a complete stop when she spotted both Braeburn and Black Fire entering the castle with a few of their soldiers. Both looked in horrible condition. Black Fire was missing bits and pieces of his armor and was drenched in blood in some places. Braeburn was missing his helmet. His long, brilliant gamboge mane covered half his face, making him look all the more menacing. Blood ran down the exposed half of his face like rain, and it also covered most of mane and armored body.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the _failed _queen of the Crystal Empire." Black Fire sneered.

Cadence narrowed her eyes at the crimson pegasus before raising her sword with her magic. Standing in a battle stance while her nostrils flared. "I may not know who you are, solider of Sombra, but you have no right invading my home!"

"Looks like you intimidated her a bit." Braeburn sneered. Black Fire flashed the Earth Pony commander a toothy grin.

"One of us is going to have to retrieve Amber Leaf while the other holds this one off." he said.

"I assume you want me to take the role of retrieval?"

"I'd like that."

Braeburn chuckled coolly and shook his head. "Good luck then." he said before whistling to his soldiers to follow him up a flight of stairs. Black Fire turned back to Cadence and raised his infamous halberd.

"I've never had to fight a mare before." he said as he slowly started to circle her. Like a lion hunting his prey. "I've personally sparred with the Queen and taught her how to fight with a weapon. But I never found it to be a challenge."

"I can sense your devotion to Sombra." Cadence said smoothly as her eyes followed him. She then gritted her teeth and glared daggers at him. "It's ponies with hearts as dark as yours and his that should be put down."

Black Fire cackled in gloating amusement. His flaming orange eyes blazing with intensity as they shrunk to the size of marbles in an endless sea of white. His black, red highlighted mane flowed behind him like fire in the wind, and his black wings were pressed tightly against his armored body. The two of them didn't say a word to one another for a full minute. To Cadence, it felt as though time itself had stopped. Each passing second felt like years. Knowing that Black Fire hasn't done anything yet made her paranoid a bit.

"I devote my life and soul to the King." Black Fire finally replied. Although his tone was a rather calm and cool. "It's under his rule that I find purpose in my life. He makes me feel wanted. To him, I'm not some freakish Crystal Pony who lived in an orphanage for almost his entire life and was shunned by everypony else for being different. He saw me as something else. He made me feel important and loved. Of course, none of you will understand that."

"... You're right." Cadence agreed. "I won't." She then stopped her hoof to the ground and yelled, "But that doesn't mean I won't stop you!"

Black Fire grinned even wider. Without even saying a word, he lunged at Cadence and swung his halberd down. The alicorn screamed in surprise when she felt the sharp blade pierce her fragile skin and left a thing cut across her cheek. She skidded back a bit before she narrowed her eyes hatefully at him. She then released a battle cry before she lashed out with her sword. The tip of the blade barely scratched the surface of his armor as he reeled back in reaction.

"Ooof!" Cadence grunted when he knocked her to the floor with the end of his weapon. Cadence sat up and rubbed her head as he got closer.

"I expected better from an alicorn." he said as he loomed over. "Nice try." he brought his face very close to her's and placed a small peck on the tip of her nose. Catching her by complete surprise. "But I'm afraid you won't be able to survive long without losing a limb or two."

"Fuck you." Cadence snorted before she jumped to her hooves once more and raised her sword. "I will keep on fighting until the end!" she roared before charging him head on.

...

Trixie backed away slowly from the attic window. Unable to handle watching the Changelings wreck Ponyville any longer. Instead she went over to where Spike was sitting with Sweetie Belle curled up beside him and layed down.

"How long do you think they'll keep this up?" she asked in a tired tone. Her eyes becoming droopy looking.

Spike shrugged. Looking tired as well. "No clue." he answered while he patted Sweetie Belle's mane as she slept with her head on his lap. "I just hope the others are alright. Especially Rarity..."

"Your friends seem like strong ponies." Trixie said as she raised her head up slightly. "I'm pretty sure they'll be fine."

"But what about Rarity?" Spike asked. "She lost her horn! She'll never be able to defend herself during something like this. Plus she's still emotionally unstable!"

"Hey. She's not the only who's life had been changed forever. I'd rather be up like this than go to sleep with the fear of having those same nightmares again."

Spike decided not to say anything else and sighed heavily. "I just...want to see Rarity again. I want to be there for her. Protect her from these Changeling bastards. But..." he slowly closed his eyes and allowed his voice to trail off. Trixie gave the baby dragon a sympathetic look and reached over to pat his back assuringly.

"I may not know what your life is like around her." she said, "But she's lucky to have you around. No pony's ever been around for me."

Spike looked over his shoulder and gave Trixie a small smile as he gently placed one of his little claws over her hoof. "You've got us now." he said. Trixie smiled back, but then froze in alarm when she heard some noise below them. Spike came to a standstill as well. Both tensed when they heard the secret entrance way shift loudly in its spot before being removed.

Had the Changelings discover them? What's going to happen now? Were they going to kill them? Or worse? Sweat beaded on both of their foreheads as they did their best to remain absolutely still. The last thing they wanted was to convince them that they _are _up here.

"Sweetie?" a young voice called below. "Spike? Trixie? Is anypony up there?"

"That sounds like Apple Bloom." Spike said.

"Remember," Trixie warned, "Changelings can make themselves look like anypony you know."

"But Apple Bloom knows about this part of the boutique." Spike said. "She and Scootaloo." He then perked up when he felt Sweetie Belle suddenly stir in his arms. The filly fluttered her eyes open and yawned.

"Sweetie Belle! Please! If you're up here, say something!" Apple Bloom pleaded.

Sweetie Belle perked up when she heard her friend's voice. "Apple Bloom!" she cried, "Apple Bloom! We're up here!"

It wasn't long until a pale, light grayish olive colored head poked up from the entrance. A large light brilliant crimson colored bow wrapped tightly around her brilliant amaranth colored mane. Joy flashed across her brilliant gamboge colored eyes when she spotted them and she revealed herself even more. A grin was plastered on her face before she looked down at the others below her.

"They're up here!" she said before climbing out of the ladder.

"Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle squealed happily before the two embraced one another in a tight hug. "You're alright! You're actually alright!" Babs Seed was the next to climb up the ladder. The city filly grinned happily when she saw Sweetie Belle and happily joined the embrace. Strongheart came next and soon found herself in the embrace as well.

"We thought we'd never find you!" Strongheart sobbed.

"At least we now know that you're still alive!" Babs said.

The girls then pulled away from the group hug and grinned at one another before turning to Trixie and Spike. "Are you both alright?" Apple Bloom asked.

"We're fine." Spike replied. "Are you? And where's Applejack and Big Mac?"

"Big Mac's back at the farm." Apple Bloom replied. "One of those freaks was in our home and Winona attacked it, but got injured too. The creature..." she sniffled, "killed Granny Smith."

Sweetie Belle let out a horrified gasp. "No!" she cried. "Not Granny Smith!"

Apple Bloom bobbed her head sadly. "It's true. And Applejack went out to try and help her friends. But I don't know where she is, exactly."

"Well now that we're together, perhaps we can all look for them." Spike said.

"I got enough magic in me to fight off any Changelings who decide to mess with us."

Everyone else nodded. Together, they left the attic and made their way out of the boutique. Which was now an entire wreck. Torn dresses were all over the place while important sewing equipment layed scattered on the floor. Rarity's sewing machine had been broken beyond repair, and now layed on the table in a heap of wrecked metal. The front door had been torn off of its hinges and now layed outside broken in two.

"Be careful of the glass, girls." Trixie said softly as she guided them away from the glass shards that layed on the floor.

For a moment they all thought they were out of the woods. But they were far from it. Halfway through outside, Sweetie Belle let out a horrified gasp and pointed her hoof to the sky. "Look!" she cried as a swarm of Changelings came raining down on them.

"Aw, crap!" Babs yelled as they surrounded them. "We're trapped!"

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" Sweetie wailed.

"Sweetie! Get a hold of yourself!" Apple Bloom ordered. Although she felt afraid herself.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" a shriek ripped through the air around them as a flash of pink came running in with what looked like a beaten up frying pan. "GET AWAY FROM THEM YOU FREAKS!" Pinkie Pie screamed as she slammed their heads down with her frying pan.

"Trixie! Spike! Apple Bloom! Strongheart! Sweetie! Babs Seed!" Fluttershy called as she galloped over ti them at record time and skidded to a stop.

"Fluttershy!" Spike said happily before he embraced the yellow pegasus.

"Look! There's Scootaloo and Angel, too!" Sweetie Belle added.

"Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo cried.

"Scootaloo!" the filly cried back. Soon the crusaders embraced tearfully after finally being reunited.

Pinkie Pie managed to scare away the remaining Changelings after splitting ones skull in two. She turned back to her friends and happily embraced all of them in a death hug. Including Trixie. "I'm so glad everypony is alright!" she sobbed. They all breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she released them.

"We're happy to see you too, Pinkie." Spike panted.

...

When Rainbow Dash and her friends arrived at Ponyville Hospital, they were surprised to find that almost the entire town was hiding out there. They were hesitant to let them in at first until Vinyl managed to convince them that they were the real ones.

"Thanks." Rainbow Dash said. Thanking the unicorn dj.

"No prob, Dash." Vinyl replied. She led the group of three through the crowd of terrified, saddened, and wound citizens. "When we found Rarity, she was practically hiding underneath the bed." Vinyl explained. Removing her glasses out of respect. "Lyra and Derpy are with her right now. She's practically hyperventilating. Nurse Redheart is currently looking for a sedative to calm her down with."

When they arrived to her room, they found her wrapped tightly in Derpy Hooves's arms as Lyra rubbed her back. The poor mare was shaking and wheezing from the sheer terror she felt. It was just too much for her.

"Spike..." she whimpered. "I want Spike..."

Rainbow Dash, Star Knight and Applejack exchanged worried glances. Dash felt Star Knight gently nudge her a bit with his muzzle. "Go to her." he whispered, "She's your friend."

Rainbow Dash nodded and turned to the scarred unicorn. Swallowing, she slowly approached her. "Rarity?" she asked gently as she got closer to the bed.

"Be careful." Lyra warned. "She's a bit unstable. She might not recognize your voice right away."

Rainbow Dash nodded. When she finally got to the edge of the bed, she cautiously reached her hoof out to her. "Rare?" she asked as she touched her shoulder lightly. The blue pegasus then backed away in sheer shock and horror when her friend suddenly let out an ear shattering scream and started to thrash in Derpy's arms.

"Rarity! Calm down! I said, calm down!" Derpy yelled as she struggled to keep her still.

"Rarity! Stop it!" Applejack yelled as she ran over and embraced her horrified friend. Hugging her tightly and holding her close as she whispered soothingly in her ear. "It's ok, Rare. Everything's going to be ok. I promise. We'll make it out of this."

Rarity started to calm down and she looked up at the Earth Pony with watery eyes. "A-Applejack?" she asked on a quivering voice.

Rainbow Dash lowered her head sadly and walked out of the room and stood in the dark hallway. Pressing her head against the wall and allowing the tears to fall. Star Knight followed her out and pulled her in for an embrace. Dash clung onto the other pegasus tightly and buried her face in his neck.

"Ssh." he crooned gently as she rubbed her back. "There's no need to cry now, Dash. We're here for you. I'm here for you."

"Staaaaaaaaaaaar..." she sobbed quietly against his white fur. "I just want this night to end already..."

"I know, Dash. I know..."

...

Cadence howled with pain when she was slammed against the wall. Her weapon locked with Black Fire's. They both locked eyes and the alicorn immediately saw the madness that stormed within his psyche. Years of hardship and struggle all before that. She'd feel pitiful for him if he wasn't trying to kill her right now. Black Fire smirked darkly before he finally pulled away from her. Cadence fell on all fours in exhaustion and dropped her weapon.

"Weak." Black Fire purred casually as he approached her. "It's no wonder you weren't able to save the Empire. Or your husband."

Cadence slowly looked up at the crimson pegasus and glared hatefully at him; tears brimming her eyes. But she did or said nothing about it. Instead she dropped her weapon and lowered her head in defeat. "Do it." she said in an uncaring tone of voice. "Just get it over with."

A grin flashed across Black Fire's face and he approached the alicorn with his weapon raised. He aimed the blade of his halberd towards her neck before pulling it back. "Any final words?" he asked.

Cadence shook her head. She had no words left to say, nor any more tears to shed. Spent all of that mourning the loss of her husband and sister-in-law. She closed her eyes tightly and calmly braced herself for the moment where her world would go back and she would see a light at the end of the tunnel. Standing there, she imagined, was Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle waiting for her. And her parents, too. Despite everything, she was ready to be reunited with the ponies she loved. But to her surprise, the death blow never came. She snapped her eyes open when she heard galloping coming down from the hall behind Black Fire and spotted Braeburn with Amber Leaf closely by his side. Her red scarf wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Black Fire!" he called after skidding to a stop in front of the main doors. "I've got Amber. Let's go!"

"Aw, come on!" Black Fire groaned. Allowing the blade of his halberd to slam to the floor as he gave the Earth Pony a disappointed glance. "Are you serious!? I was about to kill this alicorn, here!" he whined.

Braeburn narrowed his eyes at him darkly and stomped his hoof firmly on the ground. Hard enough to leave a small indent. "You'll have your fun later! Right now we've got a job to do!"

Black Fire rolled his eyes. "Fine!" he sighed before turning away from the alicorn princess and followed Braeburn and the others out. But not before stopping briefly to grin at Cadence. "Don't lose your head while I'm gone!" he called. His words sent chills down Cadence's spine and she fell to the floor in tears.

_"Hoof! That was a close one." _a voice suddenly spoke in the emptiness that now surrounded her. _"Dwaaaaa, why the long face?"_

Cadence raised her head and looked around the room for the source. "W-who's there! Show yourself!" she snapped. Was she going crazy? Is she's beginning to hear voices in her head then she must be. Perhaps she spent a little too much time in the woods.

As if reading her mind, the voice added: _"You're not going crazy, my dear. I am as real as I can get." _

Cadence looked around the room frantically until her eyes were fixed on an old painting that depicted the days before Discord's rule. It showed the alicorn sisters and a Draconequus hovering just above them. In the blink of an eye, the draconequus suddenly came to life. "It's a shame to see such a lovely alicorn in so much pain. Well...if it's not caused by me." he laughed.

Cadence suddenly gasped in horror and took a few steps back. "Discord!" she whispered.

The Draconequus then appeared before her very eyes. "Ta-DAAA!" he said proudly with streamers and confetti falling all around them as though he had just thrown a surprise party. Yet before he could even say a proper word, he was suddenly slammed against the floor with Cadence's magic. The pink alicorn walked up to his face and glared at him.

"What are _you _doing out of your prison?" she hissed. Pressing her sword against his neck.

Discord merely smiled coolly and didn't even look the slightest intimated by her move. "In case you haven't noticed, my dear, there is complete and utter chaos outside." he then snapped his fingers and was back on his feet once more. Cadence stumbled back in surprise. "And not the good kind." he added.

Cadence frowned and got back on all fours. "Are you saying that the chaos you cause is for good rather than evil?"

"Well...no." Discord replied. "The chaos I cause is for evil intent. But in case you haven't noticed, mine is nothing compared to what's happening outside."

"Are you trying to tell me that you've never destroyed villages or killed ponies during your reign?" she found it hard to believe.

"I've done some things to them." Discord replied, "But I've never destroyed or killed. The chaos I caused was out of pure mischief and fun in my eyes."

Cadence rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I don't have time for this." she groaned before picking up her sword and making her way over to the large flight of stairs that led to the throne room. She stopped when Discord suddenly appeared in front of her with his fists against his hips.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he asked. Annoyance hinted in his voice. "I'm not done talking to you."

"I have more important things to do." Cadence simply replied as she walked around him. "Like helping my aunts." she then groaned in annoyance when Discord teleported in front of her again.

"In case you haven't noticed for a _third _time, that's why I'm here."

Cadence looked up at him with a confused expression. "Why would you want to help the ones who imprisoned you in stone one thousand years ago? Surely you must hate them for that."

"I do." Discord replied bluntly. "But I can't just stand idly by while somepony else takes care of them for me. If I'm going to have my revenge, I'd rather much do it myself."

Cadence narrowed her eyes and raised her weapon up to him. "Then I'm afraid I can't let you pass." she whispered coldly. It was then that Discord rolled his eyes in complete annoyance.

"I'm not going to do it right away!" he said as he causally pushed the sword away from his face. "I freed myself for a reason, and that's to help all of you with your little predicament with Sombra."

Cadence then brought her face up to his and stared deeply into his light yellow eyes. Checking for any sort of deceit or trick. To her surprise, she found none. "And _why _should I trust the likes of _you_?" she asked slowly.

Discord stared deep into Cadence's eyes and smirked. "Because _I've _delt with Sombra before." he replied equally.

...

Twilight continued to stare idly at Celestia's fallen form with a blank expression. Satisfaction swelled her heart, for she finally had her revenge on the alicorn she once looked up to. She once considered almost like a mother. By now, Celestia could only manage tiny breaths of air. Her chest rising and lowering ever so slightly to avoid pain in her lungs, which she was sure was punctured by a rib. Her eyes were closed and, at first glance, one would've mistaken her for dead. But she stubbornly clung on to that tiny thread of life she still had.

"Why won't you just die?" Twilight snorted.

Celestia cringed slightly when she heard the bitterness in her tone. She attempted many times to make a telepathic link with her so that they could communicate, but the younger alicorn always managed to block her. She already spent what very little remained of her strength to try and reach out to her, but she realized she couldn't move a single limb. Behind her, Sombra had finished destroying the last of the elements. Crushing each jewel as though they were nothing. The elements were now no more...

"It's such a pity Luna couldn't be with us tonight." Sombra sighed after stomping on the element of magic. "I would've wanted to see her reaction once she sees you and the elements destroyed."

"Looks like you're going to get your wish." Twilight laughed softly just as the double doors slammed open to reveal a wrecked and exhausted looking alicorn.

Luna's eyes widened in sheer horror when she saw the scene before her. Celestia's horn on one side and her wings in the other. Her golden halberd snapped in two. But what horrified her most of all, was the mutilated body of her sister lying in a pool of her own blood. "CELESTIA!" she screamed loudly as tears ran down her face. Her scream left Sombra and Twilight's ears ringing slightly. She then snapped her head up at them with the deadliest look she's ever given. Her lips were curled back, eyes widened and blazing with unequal rage, and her nostrils flared.

"I WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!" she roared before she charged directly at the evil couple. Luna charged at frightening speed, intending to kill.

For the first time since her capture, Twilight felt fear. She's never seen this side of Luna before. She suspected that this is something Nightmare Moon would've had. She looked up to her husband, and was surprised to find him calm. Luna lunged forward with a battle cry and aimed for Sombra first. But what happened next took her and Twilight by complete surprise.

Sombra had used his magic to freeze her in place before gently placing his hoof on her cheek affectionately.

"H-huh?" Luna felt all of her rage and hatred towards the unicorn suddenly melt away once he touched her. She looked into his crimson eyes with innocent confusion.

"Ssh." Sombra hushed her as he gently stroked her cheek.

Luna was slowly, and gently, placed back on her hooves. All of her hatred was immediately replaced with grief and sorrow when she saw her sister lying motionless on the floor. She broke down on the spot and fell on her knees as she wept over her sister's body. "Celestia... CELESTIAAAAAAAA!" she bawled like a little filly. She cried so hard that she didn't notice the daring move Twilight made as she wrapped her arms around her and brought her close. Luna's face was pressed against the cool armor Twilight wore as the young alicorn caressed her elegant mane.

"It's over now, Luna." Twilight said softly. "She's gone. The world will be in eternal night forever now. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

The Princess of the Night whimpered in her arms. Unable to pull herself away from her seemingly caring grasp. She sensed the changes in her heart and mind, and right away she lost all hope of ever saving her. But now she was alone. Her sister was forever gone from this world, and she wasn't strong enough to raise both the sun and the moon herself. Yes, she did want eternal night to fall upon Equestria. But that was a long time ago.

During her return, she's grown to like the sunlight. Seeing the blue sky and the white puffy clouds that floated above them. Seeing the rainbows after a storm arch over them in a spectacular array of colors. Seeing the flowers blossom underneath the sunlight. It certainly was more lively during the day than the night. The world would fall into sub-zero temperatures without the sun's light.

But...she suddenly found herself unable to care anymore.

"Princess..." Twilight whispered in her ear. "You don't have to be alone anymore. Despite all that has happened to me, I'm still Twilight." she hugged her tightly. "Join us, Luna, and you'll be able to rule the night like how you've always wanted."

Luna tensed. She couldn't betray all of her friends like this. Especially her sister. She felt a curling sense of anxiety in her broken heart as her worst fear of becoming Nightmare Moon once more came to light. She felt the world around her grow dim and shadows slowly began to creep in like hungry wolves.

"Well? Will you join us? ...Nightmare Moon." Sombra asked with a sinister grin as he watched her irises suddenly become catlike.

...

By the time Cadence and Discord arrived to the throne room, it was empty. All but Celestia and her horn and wings remained. She gasped in horror when she saw the damage done to her adoptive aunt. "No!" she cried as she galloped over to her fall body and wept. "No! No! No! No! This can't be happening!"

Discord surveyed the damage done all around them and to the princess. An unfamiliar sense of rage kicked in as he clenched his lion paw into a tight fist. This is beyond what he would've done. He would've just humiliated Celestia before turning her into stone. Not maim her to the point she was close to dying. "She's not dead." he said after finding a pulse.

Cadence looked up at him with water eyes. "C-can't you help her?" she asked.

Discord stiffened slightly. The last thing he thought he would do is help the one who imprisoned him. But he couldn't bare the thought of watching Celestia die before him. "I can heal any internal injuries she might have." he said. "But I'm afraid I can't help her with her horn and wings."

"Better then nothing." Cadence sighed. "Just save her. Please. She and Luna are the only family I have left!"

"Alright, alright." Discord said while rolling his eyes. "No need to tell me your life story. Just step back a bit so I can have some space to work with. Healing internal injuries isn't exactly easy, you know."

_And it looks like I got my work cut out for me, this time, _he added mentally as he started with the broken spine.

**X.X**

**Sorry about using "brilliant" a lot. I look up the characters on the wiki and apparently almost all of the colors they are have "brilliant" in them. And I worked almost the entire night on this chapter! **

**My Demonic Heart and Soul: Yeah. Sorry about that :(**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: "Almost" did ;)**

**Northgalus2002: I'm still debating on whether or not I should give this fic a happy ending of sorts. But it certainly won't be the happy, all butterflies and rainbows type of happy ending. All in all, the ending hasn't been confirmed as of yet.**

**Zelfra1234: I'm afraid Twilight is forever lost in the dark side of the force.**

**xSOLO GAMERx: Thanks! I guess XD**

**Lusaphira: I guess that makes me *ties black belt around head* a Cliffhanger Master!**

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: I will be honest here. Your comment really cracked me up ;D**

**Anon: Thanks!**

**Wild Heart1997: Your comment inspired me to do that to Luna XD**


	28. Chapter 28

**Warning: a love scene :/ and disturbing content**

**X.X**

Chrysalis was proud of her children. She dropped the corpse of Mayor Mare after ripping off a leg and devouring it. Around her, a few of her Changlings finished what was left of the former Mayor. The sound of screams, flames, and flesh ripping, filled her ears like music. Looking at what is happening before her very eyes; the carnage and destruction around her was sign of their redemption. Their defeat in Canterlot was a humiliating loss. But now that Ponyville was burning around her, the outlook of their future was starting to look good.

_My Queen! _one of her Changlings cried in their telepathic bond. _The horizon! Look towards the horizon! _

Wiping some blood away from the corner of her muzzle before looking in the direction of Canterlot. She had a hunch that it would be in that direction. Her eyes then widened when she spotted the first and second platoon of Royal Guard Pegasi flying in. Their golden armor flashed underneath the moonlight. _Changelings! _she boomed in the link she had with her children. Every Changeling that was in Ponyville stopped what they were doing and surrounded their queen in the Square. _Take to the skies and retreat! _They didn't waste time quickly spreading their buglike wings and followed their Queen out of Ponyville and disappeared into the darkness of the night before the guards even had a chance to attack.

Apple Bloom, Babs Seed, Strongheart, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Angel, Trixie, Spike, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie all emerged from their hiding place inside a building as the Changelings were nothing but specks in the distance. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were shaken by what they had just seen. Mayor Mare had been reduced into nothing but a blood skeleton with bits of flesh still hanging on. She wasn't the only, though.

The Changelings were like locusts. They attacked anypony they saw outside and devoured them; whether dead or alive. Skeletons littered the ground around them as they walked into the open a bit more. Pinkie Pie suddenly lost control of her dinner and vomited on the spot. The first platoon quickly landed in front of them with concerned looks on their faces.

"Are you all of you alright?" the Captain asked.

"S-sort of." Trixie replied shakely. Not used to seeing so much death and destruction around her. She was beginning to miss traveling around Equestria. Where she didn't have to worry about all of _this_. This is even worse than the nightmare she had to endure in her torture.

"The second platoon is searching for any survivors." the Captain said as his first platoon went through what remained of some of the buildings. "We're going to try and put the fires out as well."

"What took you guys so long?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Apple Bloom! That's rude!" Spike said.

"We ran into some trouble on our way here." the Captain explained as he looked at the carnage around him. Half-eaten bodies, skeletons and Changelings corpses were all over the place. It was enough to cause the normally strong willed stallion to shudder underneath his armor.

"Sir!" a stallion suddenly landed beside him. "We found the others civilians. They're taking refuge in Ponyville Hospital."

The Captain nodded. "How many survivors?" he asked.

"Half the town, sir." the stallion replied. "Counting the patients."

"Ponyville Hospital!" Scootaloo gasped. "That's where Dash is!"

"Maybe the other's are there, too!" Sweetie Belle added.

"Sir." Spike approached the stallion and craned his neck up so that they were eye-to-eye. "We must go to Ponyville Hospital. I have a friend there who's going through a lot of problems right now!"

The Captain nodded. "I'll have two escorts go with you. We can't take the risk of letting all of you get under attack. There's still the risk of them returning."

"Yes. Thank you so much." Spike said.

The entire walk to the hospital was a quiet one. The group did their best to ignore the stench of death all around them along with the corpses. When they arrived, they were quickly reunited with the rest of their friends. The groups embraced one another in tearful hugs and cries. Applejack hugged her baby sister, cousin and Strongheart tightly in her arms. Rarity sobbed in once she embraced Spike, Sweetie Belle and Trixie. Rainbow Dash embraced Scootaloo in a tight hug while Star Knight wisely gave them some space.

"Are you alright?" she asked the young pegasus after checking for any injuries.

"Mentally scarred for life, that's for sure." Scootaloo replied shakely. Adding some dark humor felt like a good idea at this time. "But I'll live."

"You were really brave going out there like that." Star Knight complimented as he playfully ruffled her mane. "You should be proud of yourself."

Scootaloo blushed slightly and giggled. "Thanks."

"Say. Isn't it supposed to be sunrise right now?" Pinkie Pie suddenly asked aloud. "It's been night for an awfully long time. And the moon hasn't gone down yet."

"Maybe Celestia and Luna are busy preparing to come here." Fluttershy replied.

"Naw. I highly doubt it. They had all night to do that." Applejack said.

"They do have Canterlot to worry about." Rainbow Dash added.

Spike's eyes suddenly widened before he coughed up a scroll. "That hasn't happened in a while." he coughed.

"It's a message from Canterlot." Applejack said before opened the scroll. "From...Cadence?"

"Why would Cadence be sending us a message?" Rarity asked. The others shrugged.

"It says that Canterlot...was under attack!" AJ cried.

"WHAT!?" the others screamed in unison.

"But... How!?" Pinkie Pie asked as they all gathered around Applejack and read the message themselves.

"It was a surprise attack from Sombra and his forces. Half the place is destroyed and Celestia has been severely wounded while Luna has gone missing. She wants us to come to Canterlot as soon as we can. She wants Trixie to come as well."

Trixie blinked. Feeling a bit surprised. "M-me?" she asked. Either her ears were really playing tricks on her, or Princess Cadence really wants her to come to Canterlot as well.

"I'll stay here in Ponyville and help out the wounded." Star Knight said. "I am part of the Royal Guard after all."

"We'll head back to the farm, then." Apple Bloom said. "Big Mac is probably worried sick."

Applejack nodded in approval after she closed the scroll. "You do that. And try to stay out of harm's way until we return."

"Yes, ma'am!" the Crusaders said in unison.

...

There was no victory party when Sombra and his forces returned home. Even though they lost only a hoofful of soldiers, it was still a major victory for him. Battle worn and drenched in blood, everypony who participated and survived went along to clean themselves up and turn in for the night. Or whatever time it was. The ones who had been wounded reported to the infirmary, depending on how serious the injury was.

Sombra and Twilight both stepped out of the bathroom after taking a rather hot bath together. Her cheeks were still slightly red as they crawled into bed. She let out a soft, relaxed moan once her body touched the soft, silky black sheets. As soon as she layed her head on a pillow and closed her eyes, she felt a much larger weight press against her back. She giggled when she felt her king kiss the back of her neck.

"Feeling satisfied about what happened tonight?" he purred in her ear while caressing her wings.

"Yes." Twilight breathed. Feeling her face warm up slightly.

Sombra smirked and rolled off his wife, who was now beet red. He then rolled to his side and lovingly caressed her long mane. Twilight turned over so that she was on her side facing him. Sombra lovingly brushed her bangs to the side to reveal more of her beautiful face and pulled her in for a deep kiss. Twilight moaned when she felt him wrap his tongue around her's.

"Beautiful." he whispered. "You're so beautiful."

"S-Sombra."

"Ssh." Sombra hushed the young alicorn with another kiss before gently pushing on her back and straddling her.

From there Twilight took the time to admire her husband's look. He looked so handsome with his mane down and wet like that. The moonlight slipping through their bedroom window caused his dark gray coat to shine dimly. His scarlet eyes glowed in the dark as they gazed down at her with the utmost love and care. He's a different stallion when they're alone like this. She always saw him as the cruel, tyrannical unicorn she was led believe. But as time went on, she realized that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him closer. Whimpering when she felt him lick one of her developing teats. And after their victory in Canterlot, she _needed _her king more then ever now. Sombra trailed his muzzle up and nuzzled her neck lovingly before easing himself in. Twilight gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck as well. Panting very close to his ear. Sombra moaned as her walls clench around him before he pulled out. Only to thrust back in.

Twilight threw her head back and moaned loudly. Urging him to go faster as she cried out his name. "Sombra!" she shrieked. Moaning with each thrust. "Sombra! Fuck me! Fuck your sweet Twilight!"

Twilight's daring words caused Sombra to thrust faster. He gripped her shoulders tightly as he pumped his member in and out of her sweet cave. The heat between them intensified and the both of them felt sweat beginning to run down their faces. Sombra looked down at his wife and took in the pleasured expression she had on her face. Both of her eyes were shut tightly and her mouth was slightly agape as she made the most delicious moans he's ever heard.

"_U-uhh... Ohhhhh... A-aahhh! Ooohhh~_"

It wasn't long before the King reached his breaking point and spilled his seed within the mare he loved before collapsing beside her after she reached completion as well. But ponies turned and wrapped each other in their arms. Sombra caressed Twilight's sweaty mane as she snuggled her face into his chest.

"Sombra." she whispered tiredly.

"Mmm?" Sombra replied. Feeling nothing but contentment now.

"What are we going to do about..._her_?" the young alicorn asked. Looking up at her king.

Sombra pondered on the question for a bit before replying. "Let her rest for now. She's very exhausted after your little feud. We'll come up with something tomorrow."

"What if she betrays us? It was my idea to welcome her and all, but still."

"She won't." Sombra replied. "She has nothing left to live for. Now that her sister is gone, she can finally have the eternal night she always wanted. As long as we give her Canterlot, that is."

Twilight nodded silently. "Of course." she murmured as she drifted in and out of sleep.

"Rest." Sombra crooned. "It's been a long night for all of us."

Twilight didn't object this and happily complied.

...

It was hard to find a train that was still able to take them to Canterlot, but Rainbow Dash and her friends found a way to get there. As soon as they stepped off the train, they were horrified by the carnage before them. What had once been a majestic city of beauty and elegance, has now been reduced into nothing but charred and destroyed ruins. All around, the remaining guards did their best to help any survivors of the siege. Bodies were strewn on every part of the street as they made their way to Canterlot Castle, which was surprisingly still standing.

Somewhere in the ruined city they heard a mare cry. Possibly over the loss of a loved one or what's happened. The funny thing is, the sun hasn't risen yet. Rainbow Dash spotted a clock tower and noticed that it was nine 'o eight in the morning. Yet it was still dark out with the moon and the stars.

"It's so cold." Fluttershy whispered. Her friends couldn't agree more. Pinkie Pie walked beside Fluttershy and snuggled up against her in an attempt to keep her warm. Fluttershy smiled gratefully at her friend. "Thanks."

When they arrived in the courtyard of Canterlot Castle, bodies of ponies in both golden and obsidian armor littered the area. The remaining guards spent surveying the area and helping any wounded ponies they found. Enemy or not. Canterlot Castle was a complete wreck. Windows were broken and a few spots were crumbled. Leaving wide open holes on the castle walls.

When arrived in the throne room, they found Cadence pacing back and forth anxiously. She didn't look too bad; walking out of the whole incident with only scratches and bruises. She topped and turned their head to them as soon as she heard them walk in.

"Thank goodness you've all survived." she said. Walking up to them with a smile on her. Rainbow Dash and the others quickly bowed in respect before looking back up at her.

"Why did you call for your us, Princess?" Applejack asked.

"And what the heck happened to Canterlot?" Pinkie Pie added.

Cadence slowly closed her eyes and sighed sadly as she turned to one of the windows that still had its glass on. She then opened her eyes and gazed at what remained of Canterlot. "Sombra's forces got us in a surprised attack. Soon after we sent the first and second squadron to Ponyville's aid. The attack got us all by surprise. We barely had time to even react since we were getting ready to head over to Ponyville ourselves. The attack itself was devastating."

"Where's Princess Celestia and Luna?" Fluttershy asked. "And why hasn't the sun been risen yet?"

Cadence continued to gaze out the window as she closed her eyes once more. "She's...been severely wounded." she replied. The mares gasped in horror when they heard this.

"B-but how!?" Rarity cried.

"She's Princess Celestia, of all ponies!" Trixie added.

"Who could've done this?" Rainbow Dash whispered.

"We believe it was Sombra." Cadence replied. "Her wings had been...ripped off her body. And her horn was, too. Even the stump was gone. It looked like it'd been torn off."

"'_Torn off_'?" Rarity repeated slowly. Her eyes widened in awe and disbelief.

Cadence bobbed her head slowly and the others cringed at the image in their heads. Rarity swallowed hard as her eyes slowly trailed up to the stump on her forehead. She had a pretty good idea on who could've _really _done this. Sombra couldn't have done all of this alone. She looked over to her friends and heard that little voice in the back of her head telling her to tell them.

_I can't..., _she thought sadly_, They'll be heartbroken if they found out. Especially Spike._

"She's still alive, thankfully." Cadence said. The others then breathed a sigh of relief.

"But...what about Luna?" Fluttershy asked.

"We can't find her anywhere in the castle." Cadence replied. "I fear that she must've been taken captive. If the moon is still up, then she's still alive."

"Poor Luna!" Pinkie Pie cried. Applejack immediately wrapped her arms around the other Earth Pony and rubbed her back.

"Don't worry there, Pie. We'll get her back. Luna's a tough mare, after all. She can hold out much longer than us."

"Maybe we can use the Elements of Harmony to help us?" Rarity asked.

"I'm afraid...that won't be happening any time soon." Cadence sighed. "Other then the fact that the Element of Magic is no longer with us."

"Then why?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Instead of answering verbally, Cadence turned her head over to the shattered remains of the Elements. Littering the floor like a shattered rainbow.

"Oh, no!" Fluttershy cried. Slapping both her hooves over her muzzle from the sheer shock of it all.

"That bastard destroyed them!" Applejack roared.

"It's hopeless now!" Pinkie Pie wailed. "We'll never be able to defeat Sombra!"

"Don't say that, Pinkie!" Rainbow snapped sternly. "We are going to stop that son of a bitch if it's the last thing we do!"

Pinkie Pie merely whimpered in denial and shook her head. Muttering "hopeless" over and over to herself.

"You mustn't give up!" Cadence said sternly. "There is still a light at the end of the tunnel. Celestia still lives. And we've recently received an ally who's going to join us in our quest to defeat Sombra."

The ponies looked at one another in confusion before looking back up at the princess. "Who?" Trixie asked. Just then the double doors suddenly swung open and a charismatic looking Draconequus walked in while whistling a little tune to himself.

"Hey, Candy. The doctor managed to re-attach 'Tia's wings. Although they're still working on her ho-" Discord came to a dead stop when he spotted the remaining Mane Six ponies. The mares, except Trixie and Cadence, gasped.

"YOU!" Rainbow Dash yelled. Thrusting a hoof over to him.

"Aw, crap." Discord said bluntly.

**X.X**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Thanks! **

**Northgalus2002: Hopefully ;)**

**xSOLO GAMERx: Thankies :3**

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: Yep! :D**

**Zelfra1234: *Vegeta voice* "It's over NINE THOUSAAAAAAND!" XD**

**Anon: Thanks! And thank Wild Heart1997 for giving me the idea! ^-^**

**Wild Heart1997: Thanks! Your comment was absolutely "brilliant". XD**


	29. Chapter 29

Before anypony had a chance to stop her, Rainbow Dash bolted over to Discord and sock him the hardest punch she's ever given, and knocked him to the ground.

"Stop this IMMEDIATELY!" Cadence yelled, using her magic to pull the blue pegasus away from the fallen Draconequus.

Discord made a low groan as he rubbed the side of his head. "Geeze. I guess that's the _thanks _I get for saving the Princess's life." he said. Glaring at Rainbow Dash.

"Are you out of your MIND, Cadence?!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "That's Discord! _Discord_!"

"Yes. I am aware of that, Rainbow Dash." Cadence said.

"WE CAN'T TRUST HIM!"

"Whether we can trust him or not is something that will be determined in the future. Sombra's attack on Canterlot is a clear declaration of war." Cadence added ominously. "And it appears that the Changelings have formed an alliance with him as well. The attack on both Ponyville and Canterlot isn't a simple coincidence."

"But how are we going to defeat him now that Elements of Harmony are gone?" Pinkie Pie asked mournfully.

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, Pinkie Pie." Cadence replied sadly. "And with the Crystal Heart having been destroyed, I'm afraid there is no way of officially stopping him. We can wound him all we want, but killing him is going to be a rather challenging task."

"But there must be a way!" Rarity said. "Even without having to use the Elements or the Crystal Heart."

"Actually..." Discord chimed in, "There is a way."

The mares looked over to the Draconequus with confused expressions. "How so?" Rainbow Dash asked. Her eyes fixed on his to make sure he isn't lying or trying to pull something off.

"What if I told you that there weren't six Elements of Harmony in the beginning, but _twelve_?"

"If this is another one of your tricks, Discord, then I'm going to kick your ass." Applejack snapped.

"I'm not." Discord replied in a serious tone. Something they thought they wouldn't hear from the Draconequus. "In the beginning there twelve Elements of Harmony. The Elements of Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic are the ones Luna and Celestia chose to wield while they hid the six other Elements by scattering them all over Equestria. Said elements are Trust, Sincerity, Patience, Love, Sanity, and Leadership."

"But why didn't they keep all twelve?" Pinkie Pie asked. Even though she didn't believe him entirely.

"It was too much power for the both of them to handle." Discord replied. "So they kept the ones they saw necessary and scattered the others to six different locations in Equestria. But said locations are a mystery."

Silence filled the throne room once Discord had finished. The six mares, plus Cadence, looked up at the Draconequus with blank expressions before they suddenly burst into hard fits of laughter. All but Fluttershy.

"_Wow, _Discord. That was actually a good story." Applejack said as she wiped a tear away.

"You almost had me going there." Rarity added.

"Twelve Elements of Harmony." Pinkie Pie laughed, "That's just unbelievable!"

Even Cadence couldn't help but laugh softly. Finding it rather hard to believe. "My aunts never said anything about _twelve _Elements of Harmony." she said, "They always told me that there were only six."

Discord's eyes narrowed and he stomped his lizard foot on the ground in frustration. "I'm not even joking this time! What I'm saying is the truth! I may have pulled off a lot of pranks and told many lies in my time, but this one is for real!" To his dismay, the ponies only laughed harder. Fluttershy, however, only continued to look up at him. What happened next would forever change his life.

The yellow pegasus walked up to him, gently grabbed his lion paw, and said, "I believe you, Discord."

The laughter from the other ponies came to an abrupt halt and the throne room was filled with silence once more. Fluttershy noticed the shocked and dismayed look on her friends faces, but she didn't care as much.

"Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said, "Are you _serious _right now?"

"Yes." Fluttershy replied bluntly. Speaking as though there was nothing wrong with it. Her friends were speechless. Even Discord himself was surprised. There were no tricks. No deceit. No signs of a mind control spell in use. Fluttershy was sincere and truthful.

"But...why?" Trixie asked.

"Because I looked in his eyes while he was talking, and I saw that he was telling the truth. If he wasn't aiming on helping us, then he wouldn't have told us about this. He could've just told Sombra or went out to find and keep them for himself. But he didn't."

"She...has a good point." Cadence admitted.

"But Discord's evil! He was probably born evil!" Rainbow Dash protested.

"Evil is never born, Rainbow Dash. Evil is created." Cadence said firmly. Rainbow Dash frowned, but didn't say anything after that. Cadence took a few steps forward to Discord and said, "We'll believe you on this one, Discord. But if this is another one of your tricks..."

"It's not, princess. You have my word." Discord said.

Cadence gave him a suspicious look. "If you say so, then." she said before looking back at the others. "Which reminds me. You're all probably wondering why I had you come to Canterlot today. Or night."

"I can fix that." Discord said before he snapped his fingers. In the blink of an eye, the moon went down and was replaced by the sun.

"Hey! It's daylight now!" Pinkie Pie squealed happily as she ran over to one of the windows and stared at the blue sky happily. The others quickly joined her and together they basked in the warm light.

"It must be noon by now." Applejack commented.

"If night lasted until noon, then that means Luna must really be alive!" Fluttershy said happily. Feeling her heart swell with hope.

"Wow. For once you actually put your magic into good use, Discord. Other than health my aunt." Cadence said.

"All in a day's work." Discord said proudly. "'Tia wasn't the only one who had the ability to raise both the sun and the moon."

"So I see." Cadence smiled a small smile. There was a moment of silence before Cadence looked up at the Draconequus. "Were you really serious about the six other Elements?" she asked.

Discord nodded. "The reason why I know this is that I was there when we first found them sometime after the Great Dragonic War."

Cadence suddenly looked a bit surprised. "You know of the war?" she asked.

Discord let a scoff and placed his eagle claw on his chest. "Well, of course I do! I was a mere infant when the war began."

"Is it true that the Draconequus didn't ally with either sides?"

"My species tried to avoid getting involved as much as possible. But we were caught in the middle, unfortunately." Discord then crossed his arms. "Why do you want to know this all of a sudden?"

Cadence opened her mouth to reply, only to snap it close when she heard the mares returning to them. "Now that we've gotten one problem out of the way, let us continue. War is looming on the horizon now. Because of the attack in Canterlot, we've lost a good portion of our stallions. Because of this, I'm going to have to draft some ponies into the Royal Guard. Mares or Stallions."

The mares froze when they heard. Pinkie Pie swallowed nervously as she shakely opened her mouth to speak. "A-are you saying that we should j-join the Royal Guard?" she asked nervously.

To her relief, and everypony elses, Cadence smiled and shook her head. "No. It's too soon to draft from Ponyville and Canterlot. Or anywhere for that matter. For now we need to take the time to heal, rebuild, and strategize for our retaliation attack."

"What should we do for the time being then?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Help out any pony you can back in Ponyville. It's going to be a long road to recovery for all of us. Now you are all dismissed."

The mares bowed their heads respectfully before making their way to the double doors. While watching them leave, Discord bent down to Cadence's ear and asked, "Why didn't you tell them what you told me?"

"They're not ready to know." Cadence replied simply. "If what Rarity and Trixie told Celestia is true, then we must find these dragons before Sombra does." she then paused and sighed. "But the funny thing is: we don't even know who these dragons are."

"Hmm." Discord stroked his beard thoughtfully. "The war happened two thousand years ago. I can vaguely even remember it. All I know is that almost my entire species has been wiped out because of it." The Draconequus stiffened at the thought. His hatred towards dragons returning after two thousand years of being locked away.

"Until then. Let's just hope and pray he doesn't attempt another attack." Cadence said softly. "And if you're telling the truth about those six other Elements, then they better find them soon. Before we all succumb to the darkness..."

**X.X**

**Oh, dear. This can't be good :/**

**Lusaphira: Yeah xD**

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: Yeeeeeeeeeeep!**

**xSOLO GAMERx: Don't worry. I don't plan on killing either because I like Luna and I respect Derpy.**

**BlargleArgle: No clue, actually. **

**Wild Heart1997: That might not be for a LOOOOOONG while now.**

**Northgalus2002: Pinkamena will not be appearing, I'm afraid :3 Pinkie might have her moments, but nothing crazy. **


	30. Chapter 30

**NOTICE: I just wanted to say one thing: I'm such an idiot. I was originally going to change some things in Chapter 29 because I found it to be slightly rushed and lacking. Then I decided not to rewrite and add some stuff instead. But when I went back and looked at it again I thought, "You know what? Maybe it doesn't have to be changed. Readers seemed to like it." So I would like to apologize to the ones whom I PMed about changing Chapter 29 and wasting your time. I just can't make up my mind! **

**Oh yeah. The art for the cover belongs to someone called RoseyTail on Deviantart. I just added the other stuff in.**

**By the way. This is a question that has been on my mind for a while now. Should Twilight have a baby? **

**X.X**

Rarity stood looking up at the Golden Oak Library silently. Despite all that's happened in Ponyville, the tree still stood. Shadowing her with its large branches while green leaves covered the crown as always. The windows remained unkept and dusty since Spike came to live with her. She and the others often tried to avoid ever going there, not wanting to go through painful memories of their times with Twilight.

The name caused the white unicorn to shudder with fear. The doctors did warn her that she is prone to possible night terrors and/or panic attacks. Which is why they prescribed some medication to help with her anxiety while Trixie had to take medication for her night terrors. Both unicorns didn't like the idea of having to take pills at least twice a day. One in the morning and again before bed. But it did help with their PTSD a bit. But it didn't help Rarity forget her horrid encounter with Twilight Sparkle, or Terror, since her apparent "death".

The look in her eyes was a look she never wanted to see in any pony ever again. If she did, she'd rather much put a rope around her neck. But she never did believe in suicide. Plus she has her friends, family, and Spike to think about. Suicide would be the last thing she'd do. But she couldn't help but wonder every day as to why she would torture her like that in the first place. She said everything so loudly and so fast that she couldn't quite catch what she was saying in some parts.

_"Are you grateful for the life you have, Rarity?" _she had asked her just before she turned her cut into a gash; which was now a fresh scar once the stitches were removed. Although it was sensitive to things like cold water and such. A Ragged heart shaped scar now surrounded her cutie marks. Just another reminder of the horror she endured in the castle.

Rarity always wondered what she meant when she asked her that question. And when she called her a liar after she answered truthfully. She thought about it during her stay in the hospital and she eventually came up with a reason.

_Maybe it's because of what she must've gone through while we were safe and sound at home trying to continue our lives..._

Rarity closed her eyes and allowed a tear to slide down her cheek. If only they knew. If only they knew she was alive. Looking back now, it would've been possible for her to have survived the collapse. But when they searched through the rubble, they didn't find her. But obviously Sombra did. Everypony expected him to still be at the Crystal Empire when the Royal Guard arrived. But instead he was long gone. Along with the civilians. It was actually very clever. But if only she and Trixie knew where exactly he was now hiding at. Clearly they were in some sort of mountain range. The Crystal Mountains perhaps? She wasn't so sure. She hasn't been sure since their return.

The weather was rather gloomy today. It was forecasted that it was going to rain later on in the day. Which isn't going to be much help for the reconstruction of both Ponyville and Canterlot. It's been five weeks since the attacks, and both locations didn't even have one building completed. Most of the buildings still stood standing, but with broken windows and doors. Other buildings were nothing but charred skeletons.

The death toll was rather high, unfortunately. A good portion of ponies died. Most of which were Royal Guards and enemy soliders in Canterlot. By now the last of the bodies had been buried, while the Changelings and enemy soldiers were burned. They didn't deserve a proper burial in the publics eyes. New of the attacks spread like wildfire throughout Equestria. Ponies from as far as Manehattan were coming to aid in the reconstruction of both locations. It was a huge relief. But it also made no difference. The damage has been done, and many good ponies have been killed.

Rarity was just having one of those days where she couldn't find herself being able to work. Spike and Trixie had suggested that she went out and have some fresh air now that the stench of death and rotting meat was gone. Rarity took their advice and walked onto the streets of Ponyville for the first time in ages. The entire town itself was still under construction. She was walking when she stopped to look up at Twilight's former home. Thus explaining why she was there in the first place.

"It wouldn't hurt just to go in and see it..." she said to herself softly. Besides, she could really use some good memories by now. Even though they'd hurt her as well. Rarity walked up to the door and immediately felt the memories come rushing back as she gripped the door knob. The door opened with a _creak _as she pushed it forward.

"Who's there?" a voice suddenly called from inside.

"Eek!" Rarity cried as she jumped back in alarm.

"Rarity?" Rainbow Dash suddenly poked her head out of the door and looked surprised to see her. "Aw, crap! I'm so sorry about that! I didn't see you there." she held out her hoof for her to take.

"I-It's alright." Rarity replied shakely as she allowed her friend to pull her up. "But what are you doing in Twilight's place?"

"Oh. Just trying to find some books on war." Rainbow Dash replied. "Considering that we're going to have to be drafted in soon, I might as well learn about it. But I sorta made a mess on doing so, though..." the blue pegasus slowly looked over shoulder at the mess she made going through all the bookshelves just to find some war books. "But what are you doing here?"

"I just...wanted to come by." Rarity replied. Rubbing her right arm shyly.

Rainbow Dash have her friend a saddened look. She's changed since her release from the hospital. She wasn't the same Rarity she's known before. "Weren't you going to come in?" she then asked.

"Yes, actually." she said before walking in. "My." she murmured as she gazed at the mess around her. "You certainly weren't kidding about making a mess. Twilight would've killed you if she found out you made this mess."

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash laughed softly as she rubbed the back of her neck. "By the way. Do you really think Discord was telling the truth about the Twelve Elements thing?"

"I honestly don't know." Rarity replied honestly. "I've thought about it a few nights, but that's it. Maybe we could ask Celestia about it once she's recovered. The doctors won't allow her to have any visitors right now. But what do you think?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I honestly have no idea what to believe. Discord's the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. Yet he healed Celestia of her internal injuries. Or that's what Cadence said to us."

"Speaking of Discord. Did you know Fluttershy's been spending some time with him in Canterlot?" Rarity added.

"Shut up." Rainbow Dash said in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Rarity bobbed her head. "Yeah! They've been helping out the wounded there. Who would've guessed that Fluttershy had a talent for medicine."

"I guess all her days near the Everfree Forest is finally put into good use." Rainbow Dash added with a laugh. Rarity laughed as well before suddenly coming to an abrupt halt. "What's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked. Looking concerned.

"I just realized something." Rarity said before she slowly looked over to her friend. "This is the first time we've actually laughed together as friends."

Rainbow Dash blinked before realizing what she meant. "You're right." she said softly. "It's been so long since we've laughed like this. As friends." Rainbow Dash sniffled as she found herself on the brink of tears. "Rare... Can I tell you a secret?" she asked softly.

"Of course, Dashy." Rarity replied. "I'm always here for you."

Rainbow Dash smiled before she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through her nostrils. "I had a crush on Twilight Sparkle." she blurted out clear as day.

Rarity said nothing at first. Taking the time to process what her friend had just the slapped both hooves over her mouth.

"When I said 'I love you' to Twilight at her service, I didn't mean it as a friend. I meant it as a marefriend."

"O-oh, Dashy..." Rarity's voice trailed off and she looked away from her friend in both shock and disbelief. She shook her head. "I...I don't know what to say about that..."

Rainbow Dash looked away shamefully from her friend. Perhaps it was a mistake to tell her, then. She thought she could trust Rarity with it. She hasn't told Star Knight yet. So she figured maybe Rarity would be a good pony to tell it to. But she was beginning to get second thoughts about the whole thing. "I'm... I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash finally said.

"For what?" Rarity asked. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I will admit that I was shocked to hear that you, out of every pony I know, was in love with another mare."

"I couldn't believe it either!" Rainbow Dash admitted. "But it's a thing I've had since my early teens. I was always attracted to both mares and stallions. But I never had the courage to say anything about it."

"Dash..." Rarity gently placed her hoof on her friends shoulder and patted it. "You're secret is safe with me."

"Promise?" Rainbow Dash asked slowly.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Rarity made a cutting motion above her heart.

Rainbow Dash smiled and immediately hugged her friend. "Thanks, Rare. I knew I could count on you. I just wanted to tell somepony that I know I could trust."

"You can always trust me, Dash." Rarity replied as she hugged back.

Both ponies soon pulled away from their hug. "You know. There could be a book on the Twelve Elements of Harmony somewhere around here." Rainbow Dash said as she walked amongst the many books scattered all over the floor. "Why not look around and try to find it? Maybe we might find something that could prove Discord was telling the truth."

"Sounds like a plan." Rarity agreed. "But we're going to have to clean up afterwards, too."

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Of course we will. Twilight never did like her library in a mess like this."

Rarity shivered at the name.

...

Sombra stared down at his most trusted ponies with both pride and firmness. The first being the evil Queen of the Empire herself, Twilight, sitting in the first seat to his left. The second being the Changeling Queen sitting in the third seat to his left. Sitting in the second seat in between Twilight and Chrysalis was a very dark cornflower blue alicorn, who was about the same height as Princess Celestia. A brilliant phthalo blue mane floated elegantly behind her head with a grayish Persian blue aura surrounding it. A pair of moderate cyan eyes with cat irises dominated her dark face as they stared at him with the utmost devotion and loyalty. One that equally matched Twilight, Amber Leaf, Black Fire, and Braeburn's.

Sitting to his right were Black Fire and Braeburn; his and Twilight's recently promoted Captains of their Obsidian Guard. One wouldn't exactly call the two "best friends", for Black Fire and Braeburn hated one another. Often fighting with one another on who the King favoured the most. But when it came to strategizing, the two made an excellent team. The reason why they haven't killed one another yet is the fact that their king would kill them as soon as he found out. None the less, they forced themselves to play nice with one another.

Splayed out on the table in front of them was a rather large, ancient map of Equestria. Looking rather worn out and wrinkled. With a few small cuts on the edges. The image of ancient Equestria looked rather faded, but it was still able to show details that weren't present in modern maps of it. Details such as locations that was never even heard of. Or cities like Manehattan not even existing at the time. Twilight herself found it fascinating. Since her thirst for knowledge never dies.

Wooden pony figures were placed on different parts of the map. Most of which representing the Obsidian soldiers. A green painted figure, representing Queen Chrysalis, was placed above the Crystal Empire. An amber painted figure, representing Braeburn, was placed above Rainbow Falls. Last but not least, two figures, one black and the other dark blue, were placed in the Badlands.

"Any questions on your tasks?" Sombra asked. When a full minute of silence past, Sombra nodded in approval. "Then you are all dismissed."

As the others stood up and left the war room, Twilight remained seated. Looking at the map blankly. The door closed, leaving both the King and Queen alone in the dimly lit room. Sombra slid off his seat and went over to her side; he brought his muzzle up to her ear and nuzzled it lightly.

"Is something troubling you?" he murmured.

"Why?" Twilight whispered. "Why are you bringing Nightmare Moon with you instead of me? Am I not strong enough to come along on such an important meeting?"

Sombra sighed softly and placed his hoof underneath her chin before moving it gently until they were face-to-face. "No. It's nothing like that." he said gently as he caressed her cheek. Bringing her face closer to his. "It's just that these beings are rather...unique."

Twilight cocked a "brow" in curiosity and leaned forward slightly. The tips of their muzzles now touching. "How unique?" she whispered.

Sombra smirked. "Very...unique." he whispered back before pressing their muzzles in a light kiss. Twilight shivered slightly in the kiss before pressing her muzzle back. After a few seconds, Sombra pulled away and added, "I just don't want to lose you. They don't take too kindly to strangers."

Twilight sighed softly. "Oh, alright. Sombra."

Sombra sighed back before he bringing his muzzle close to her ear once more. "_Zu'u lokal hi, dii hes Suvulaan._" he murmured in a silky voice.

Twilight's eyes widened in surprise and shuddered at the tone. "W-what?" she asked. Struggling to speak as she tried to process what he just said to her.

Sombra smirked and repeated what he said. "_Zu'u lokal hi, dii hes Suvulaan._"

The way he spoke it caused Twilight to blush slightly. "W-what are you saying? I-I've never heard a language like that in my life."

Sombra blinked and pulled away from her ear. Looking surprised himself. "You mean Celestia's never taught you Dragonic?" he asked.

"'Dragonic'?" she repeated.

"Dragonic is the language of the dragons." Sombra replied. "_Zu'u lokal hi, dii hes Suvulaan_ means: I love you, my sweet Twilight."

"Oh." Twilight replied before giggling. "You know. You sound sexy when you speak Dragonic. You should teach me it sometime."

Sombra chuckled. "_Perhaps Zu'u fent, dii shir. Hi los nel dojiik mindin pah._" he purred in her ear. "It's time that I start teaching you. You're going to be needing it very soon..."

**X.X**

**Sorry for the crappy chapter. My muse to write has been...lacking, as of late...**

**Wild Heart1997: Thanks! ^-^**

**Guest: Ikr? That's why I left the question up there XD**

**Northgalus2002: Thanks! And sorry about the PM I sent. I have no idea what I was thinking x_x**

**kitkat: You'll have to read and find out, I'm afraid. **


	31. Chapter 31

There is a part in the Badlands where very few ponies know of; let alone explored much of it. Beyond the ragged and cracked canyons and mountains that dominated the area was grayscale cave entrance. Well hidden from the eyes of wary travelers and thrill seeking explorers hoping to strike it big time. Inside was nothing but pitch, inky blackness where not even the sunlight could pierce through it. An icy cold breeze would blow out from the cave every now and then. Followed by a deep rumble.

Nightmare Moon, formally known as Princess Luna, landed beside Sombra as he changed back into his physical form. An eager smile present on his muzzle as he took the first steps towards the large cave entrance. Through her eyes, it looked to be about the same height as Canterlot Castle itself. She couldn't help but open her mouth slightly in awe. To think a cave like this remained hidden for so long appalled her beyond words.

A blast of cold air blew at them, causing Nightmare Moon to stop and shiver from the icy blast. The cold itself brought chills to her bones. And the rumble that followed soon after didn't help either. She looked over to Sombra, who remained unphased. Intead, he chuckled.

"This is the place." he said in a pleased tone.

"Are you sure you want to go through this?" Nightmare Moon asked softly. "What if they try to kill us?"

"They won't kill us as long as I'm around." Sombra replied bluntly. Not taking his eyes off the cave entrance. "Stay here, and don't say a word. These dragons know a frightened pony when they see one." he warned before walking a bit closer to the cave.

Nightmare Moon could only watch him in dismay. She questioned herself often as to why she joined him to begin with. But then she would remember that her sister was...gone. He had promised her Canterlot as soon as his plan was completed; and Sombra was a stallion of his word.

Sombra stopped mere inches from the cave entrance. Gazing into the never-ending sea of darkness with excitement and admiration at the same time. It shamed him that he couldn't bring his beloved Queen along. But the last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt. Or worse. The beings he was about to speak with can be rather...unpredictable. Which is why he brought Nightmare Moon along. Like him, she knew Dragonic fluently. Speaking Dragonic, along with his bloodline, are possibly the only things that could save them if something does go wrong.

There was another large blast of cold air coming out of the cave. Causing Sombra's cape to blow back. Even the cold air gave him goosebumps. Behind him, Nightmare Moon pressed her dark wings tightly against her armored body as she did her best to withstand the air cold blast. Actually wishing for it to be daylight now.

"They're here." Sombra whispered to himself.

"_Wo yin trespasses nau un deylok?_" a deep, chilling voice suddenly asked from within the cave.

Nightmare Moon suddenly perked her head up at this and shuddered fearfully for the first time in decades. She looked over to Sombra once more, and was surprised to find him absolutely calm.

"_Frolaaz mii, Lot Gein. Mu drey ni meyz wah intrude nau hin himdah._" Sombra replied smoothly. Keeping his eyes directly up at the darkness.

There was a brief moment of silence before a large blast of ice cold air erupted from the cave entrance. Followed by a strange, almost distorted roar. Nightmare Moon felt the tiny rocks by her hooves suddenly begin to move as the ground shook.

_THUMP THUMP THUMP_

Sombra smiled when a pair of blazing white eyes suddenly appeared out of the darkness. Sleek and narrow. But what disturbed Nightmare Moon the most was the fact that no irises or pupils were present. The white eyes gazed down at the dark unicorn, who showed not even a hint of fear. Instead he stood rather tall and proud before the creature before him.

"_...Vokorasaal..._" the creature hissed. "_Nid ulfah ko daar feln hasn't kosaan vos wah tinvaak un tinvok ful fluently ruzun oblaan do faal Lot Dragonic Kein._"

Sombra smirked slyly. "_Zu'u lost tinvaak faal Tinvok do faal Dovah ruzun sul Zu'u vust tinvaak. Dii ragnavir, mindin pah, lost peh usnutiid voth hin eylok._" he replied evenly.

The was another moment of silence before before a large, sleek dragon head emerged from the darkness. All pitch black with the exception of his dark gray horns that were curved back, and the pointy spines that ran from his neck, all the way down to his long and sleek tail. Which were still hiding within the cave. There wasn't even a hint of a mouth on his slender muzzle. Not even a thin line. The black dragon titled his head downward so that he and Sombra locked eyes. After a full minute of silence, the dragon spoke.

"...Most impressive." the dragon spoke in the common language. Except it was telepathically rather than physically. His kind, after all, only spoke through telepathy for reasons only they knew.

"Great Wyrm." Sombra said as he bowed deeply. Showing all of the utmost respect he's ever had for anything.

Nightmare Moon was rather shock to find Sombra acting so humble like this. No pony has. But she wisely kept quiet and merely watched from where she was.

Sombra lifted his head up and gazed into the flaming white eyes meekly. He rarely acted humble towards another. But he held great respect for this particular group of dragons, and treated them with honor. "I, King Sombra of the Obsidian Empire, have come for a request." he said. Not breaking eye contact.

The dragons eyes seemed to widen slightly and looked rather surprised when he mentioned "Sombra" and "Obsidian Empire". He then brought his face closer to Sombra until the tip of his snout was inches from his muzzle. Sniffing the dark unicorn lightly before rearing back sharply. Nightmare Moon swallowed fearfully when she saw the dragons pitch black snout suddenly rip apart. A black liquid substance oozed down as he stretched his jaws wider before forming into rows of razor sharp teeth that glinted off of the sunlight.

A loud, distorted roar erupted from the dragon. Causing the earth below their hooves to shake to the point where small cracks were beginning to appear near their hooves. The sharp teeth soon changed back into the same black liquid as the dragon closed his jaws shut once more. Lowering his face back down at the dark unicorn; who remained unphased the entire time.

"Your scent...is familiar." the dragon said telepathically. Although his voice sounded a bit softer. "We haven't seen an Obsidian Pony...since the day you disappeared...my prince."

"From what I've heard, my parents died some time after my disappearance." Sombra replied softly. "I ran away from home. I was fed up with my life. I needed to escape, old friend..."

What? Nightmare Moon wanted to ask. All fear she felt was quickly replaced with confusion as she watched the two communicate. What surprised her next was when Sombra suddenly placed his hoof underneath the dragons black snout and, in an act of rare affection towards another other then his Queen and loyal subjects, brought it close enough to press his forehead against it gently. Closing his eyes and exhaling lightly through his nostrils. The dark dragon closed his eyes as well and relaxed.

"_Frey zey ko dii wund fah rel avok Equestria, wuth fahdon. Hin urid fen kos zok lot. Lig. Zu'u bolog do hi..._" Sombra whispered humbly. His hot breath brushing against the smooth, inky black scales.

"_Dii eylok lost aam hin ragnavir ruzun sul fod nust aam mii ko faal Lot Dragonic Kein. Mu fen unstiid aam naal hin reid._" the dragon whispered back before gently pulling away to open his eyes and look down at Sombra. Whisps of purple smoke that were similar to Sombra's proceeded to pour from the edge his blazing white eyes. "_Mu fent frey hi ko hin wund, dii jun._"

Sombra smiled darkly. His eyes flashing green while whisps of purple smoke poured from the edges. "Good." he purred. At last. After a thousand years of separation. The Dragons of Eternal Darkness shall unite with the Obsidian Empire in war once more.

In the background, Nightmare Moon shuddered with an unfamiliar sense of cold fear.

...

Discord could barely remember a time when he lived in absolute peace. Not the chaotic peace he normally created, but _real _peace. Since the day he was brought up in this cruel world, his life had been filled with nothing but turmoil and, well, chaos. In the beginning, the Draconequus of Equestria only sought to live in peace and harmony with one another. Using their magic for good intentions only. But then the war between dragons occurred.

A group of dragons broken away from the main dragon council to create their own magic and spells. But they tempted with fate, and created dark magic. They were so enthralled with the dark power that they've created, the darkness itself turned them into unholy beings of indescribable horror. Thus the war between dragons began. His kind, the Draconequus, wanted nothing to do with the war. While the dragons of the dragon council respected their decision and left them be, the Dragons of Eternal Darkness saw to it differently by destroying any Draconequus they saw.

Discord had seen the horrors of war and death before his very eyes. And it wasn't a pretty site to see. Seeing Celestia so wounded and mutilated almost beyond recognition brought back memories of when he'd been forced to watch his own mother get tortured to death by the dark dragons while his father lied dead by his side. They didn't stop until she was nothing but an unrecognizable pile of meat and crushed bones.

In the present, he sat on a stool beside the bed Celestia had been placed on. Staring at her with something he hasn't felt towards the alicorn in a very long time: fear. Fear that she wouldn't wake up. That she wouldn't see the light of day ever again. He gently ran a talon from his eagle claw down her cheek in rare affection he hasn't shown in a very long time.

"I never thought I'd see you like this, 'Tia." he said. "I know that once you wake up you're going to kick my ass. And hasn't anypony ever told you that Rainbow Dash could pack quite a punch." he then gently rubbed the cheek where the blue pegasus had punched him. "Tough one, I will admit." The Draconequus turned his attention over to the window beside him. The first few droplets of rain started to hit the glass and run down like teardrops.

"The doctor said that it'll be a long while until you're able to talk again. At least I was able to heal your broken spine and ribs. But..." the Draconequus then closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "'Tia... Do you remember the day I found you and Lulu hiding out in the Bogg just outside of the Everfree Forest? I believe it was the year when ponies were just beginning to arrive at Equestria. Ponyville wasn't even founded at the time. I can't even remember how long ago it was. But I still remember it clear as day. You and Lulu were huddled up together inside this mossy log. Looking all cute and cuddly. To be honest, the last thing I expected to realize is that the two of you were alicorns."

Meanwhile Fluttershy stood outside of the door. Ear pressed against the smooth, cold surface and taking in every detail Discord said. There were times where she just wanted to barge in and ask what the hay he was talking about. But she wasn't that sort of pony. Pinkie Pie would clearly be the one to do that instead of her. Her other ear twitched with curiosity and listened a bit more.

"I will admit that I _still _think I didn't do anything wrong. A ruler needs to have his fun after all. Besides, you and Lulu enjoyed everything that I did. But that was before puberty kicked in, I guess."

Fluttershy giggled quietly to herself. But did her best to remain quiet. When she saw Discord entering Celestia's room, she got a little concerned and followed suit. To be perfectly honest: she didn't, really, trust Discord a lot. But she did give him the benefit of a doubt when he brought up the six other Elements thing. They were at a loss. Almost all of Canterlot and Ponyville had been destroyed. Princess Celestia was severely wounded to the brink of death. Princess Luna is still nowhere to be found. And their hopes were dwindling into nothing but a mere flicker. The mentioning of the six other Elements were enough to spark her hopes up once more.

"Oh, 'Tia. There are things I've always been wanting to ask you and Lulu. But since Lulu isn't here, and you're asleep, I might as well get them off my chest. And no. They're nothing _bad_." the Draconequus added in a annoyed tone as though Celestia was awake. "While I was in that _horrid _stone prison, I sometimes wondered if you and Lulu ever missed me."

_Huh? _Fluttershy thought as both of her ears perked up in interest.

"I can probably guess that you'd say no. Or ask me what kind of silly thing is that. But don't think I've forgotten, Celestia. I sometimes see you and your sister as the fillies I found in the Bogg all those years ago. I still remember how obsessed you were with the sun while Luna was obsessed with the moon. I always found it difficult to put her to bed." he laughed softly. "But what I remember the most is when you started calling me 'Daddy Discord'."

Daddy Discord? Fluttershy nearly said aloud before she slapped a hoof over her muzzle.

"I still remember all those times I had to tell you and Luna not to call me that, but just Discord. Yet the both of you still called me that even after I told you not to. But I'm starting to regret it. I actually liked it when the both of you called me 'Daddy Discord'. I was proud to have brought up two beautiful alicorn princesses, but I never thought said alicorn princesses would leave me one day. I actually thought the two of you were happy around me. I was the one who helped you scatter those six other Elements you and Lulu found. I helped choose the ones you found necessary to keep. Who would've guessed that the same elements I chose would actually be used to put me to stone..."

There was a brief moment of silence in the room. Other then the rain that was pounding against the window outside. "Also. Hasn't your mother ever told you that it's rude to eavesdrop on a conversation, Fluttershy?" Discord added bluntly.

Fluttershy tensed and backed away from the door slightly. How he found out she was there is something she may never understand. The yellow pegasus shyly pushed open the door and gave him a nervous grin. "H-hello." she said with a hesitant wave.

"Come take a seat beside me, Fluttershy." Discord said before snapping his fingers.

Fluttershy barely had time to react before she suddenly found herself sitting beside the Draconequus on a stool.

"There. That should make things much more easier for us." Discord said approvingly.

Fluttershy flattened her ears against her skull and looked away shamefully. "I'm sorry." she said. "I don't normally do this kind of thing. I was just curious to see why you entered the princess's room."

"It's fine." Discord waved it off casually. "So tell me, Fluttershy. How much have you heard?" he asked.

Fluttershy swallowed nervously. "All of it." she replied. "But is it all true? I mean..."

"Believe it or not, my dear." Discord interrupted, "I'm actually a very bad liar when it comes to making up stories. Everything you heard is the truth. Plus there would be no reason lying to a princess who can't even react to what I'm saying. And I love a good reaction."

Fluttershy giggled quietly to herself. She then looked over to Celestia's sleeping form and a feeling of sorrow overcame her. "Why would Sombra do this to her?" she asked. "I can understand that he's still angry about being imprisoned in ice one thousand years ago. But he didn't have to..."

"I don't know." Discord replied. "I've seen some sick things in my time. Only somepony with a sadistic streak would do this. I just never saw Sombra as the type who would torture somepony physically. When it comes to torture, he loves messing with the mind instead of the body."

"Cadence told me that you've delt with Sombra before. Or that's what you told her." Fluttershy said. "What did you mean by that?"

"Let's just say I've had a run in with Sombra before." Discord replied. "And it didn't end quite well for me..."

Fluttershy's eyes softened when she noticed the hesitant look in Discord's eyes and she gently grabbed his lion paw with her hoof. "What happened?" she asked.

...

Sombra was rather surprised to have found Twilight lying in their bed fast asleep with a book in her hoof. The king smiled fondly and shook his head before walking up to the sleeping mare and gently took the book out of her hoof.

"Twilight." he said softly. Gently shaking the young alicorn.

Twilight stirred in her sleep before her eyes slowly opened. "Sombra?" she asked with a yawn, "Back so soon?"

Sombra chuckled. Gently kissing down her jaw as she regained her senses. Twilight giggled at the ticklish sensation she felt on her jaw before pressing herself into her king's arms. "So how did everything go?" she asked softly.

"Quite well, actually." Sombra replied as he stroked her long, silky mane slowly. "Equestria will surely be ours in no time now that we have the Dragons of Eternal Darkness on our side."

Twilight smiled softly. A full minute of silence past between the two before she finally looked up at him with a hesitant expression. "Sombra..." she said, "There's something I need you to hear."

Sombra blinked and tilted his head slightly in curiosity. "What is it?" he asked. He was then surprised when Twilight took his head and gently moved it down so that his was pressed against her exposed abdomen. He felt rather confused and...slightly disturbed by this. "I don't hear anything." he said after hearing nothing and gave her a frown.

"No." Twilight replied gently. "_Listen_."

Sombra sighed and placed his ear against her abdomen once more. After a few seconds, his eyes widened when he heard what sounded like tiny heartbeats. He looked up at Twilight with a shocked expression, and found her blushing madly. "O-oh, Twilight..." he stammered.

"Sombra... I'm pregnant." Twilight whispered.

The unicorn embraced his wife into a loving hug before sharing a passionate kiss. The two were soon engaged in a make-out secession and both fell on the bed in each other's arms. Before things could even get heated, Sombra broke the kiss gently and gave her a warm smile. "Did you see Roseblood?" he murmured as he caressed her mane once more. Twilight nodded and silently nuzzled underneath his chin.

"I felt a little sick this morning. Amber Leaf suggested that I see him. I did and he confirmed it. I'm...I'm really pregnant, Sombra." Twilight felt herself on the brink of tears.

Sombra looked down at her with a confused expression. "Why are you crying?" he asked as he lovingly wiped away a few tears.

Twilight sniffled. "It's just that...it's just... Does it have to be now?" she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"We are about to begin a war, Sombra. And I plan on torturing the rest of my "friends". But I don't want to do so with a foal growing in me." she looked up at Sombra with worried eyes. "What if something happens to me? What if something happens to the foal? And I don't want anything to happen to you, either. I want our foal to have both a mother and a father."

"..." Sombra didn't respond at first. His eyes slowly trailed down to her abdomen and gently rubbed it with his hoof fondly. "Nothing will happen to us." he crooned as he pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Which is why you're not going to participate in any battles that'll occur in the future."

Twilight opened her mouth to protest. Only for it to be replaced by a soft sigh when Sombra pressed his mouth against her's in another kiss. He then slowly pulled away and trailed his muzzle down until he rested above her abdomen. Kissing it softly before laying his head on it with a pleased smile. Twilight smiled as all of her worries melted away. She caressed her king's mane as he stayed there. Listening to the tiny heartbeats of their future heir.

**X.X**

**My muse to write is dying! oAo**

**Btw, I did NOT know the thing I was using to be the Dragonic language was the thing from Skyrim. I do NOT play Skyrim (but my brother does), and it turns out the site I was using for the dragon language is actually associated with Skyrim. But I am NOT going back to change it. I'm afraid I'm going to have to stick with the Skyrim Dragon language. *sighs***

**And yes. In the universe where this fanfic occurs in, I implied that Discord found and actually RAISED Celestia and Luna. Remember, this is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE and completely NO -CANON.**

**I Am Whelmed: Aaaaaaaaaaand I did xD**

**Northgalus2002: Thanks! :D And here are the dragons!**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Heck naw! It ain't even close to bein' done! XD**

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: YEEEEEEEEEEEEP!**

**xSOLOGAMERx: Twily's having a baby :3**

**Wild Heart1997: Thanks! And it's definitely going to be an Alicorn. With Sombra being the King of Shadows and Twilight being the Queen of Nightmares, we're gonna have a Prince or Princess of Darkness! **

**Lusaphira: I'm afraid Sombra ISN'T Dovahkiin xD**

**ZeldatheWarriorPrincess: That's great to hear! Even though I haven't played Zelda in a VERY long time. :)**

**guestt: I'm afraid not.**

**My Demonic Heart and Soul: She is now having a baby! **


	32. Chapter 32

Have you ever wondered what death is like?"

Nurse Hale suddenly dropped what she was doing and snapped her head over to Flash Sentry, who was busy looking out the window by his bed. "W-what?" she asked. Having never heard him talk like this.

The brilliant gamboge colored pegasus shrugged. Acting as though nothing is wrong with his question. "When I look back to what happened, I remembered seeing my comrades die before my very eyes. At night, I can sometimes hear them scream..."

"Flash Sentry..."

"Wind Breaker and Storm. Those were their names, yes? I keep seeing them in my dreams. They look all torn up and bloody looking. They also look sad. So. Very. Sad..."

The cream colored unicorn tensed slightly before slowly turning back to her work. Which is cleaning up medical tools on a daily basis. It's important that her med-bay is sanitized and clean. For the past month and a half, Flash Sentry has been her only patient. He had told Wind Dance everything he had seen before blacking out. Although skeptical, the disappearance of his platoon was enough to convince their Commander to send a much larger squad of ponies out to the mountains. They haven't been heard from as of late, and the others were beginning to get a little anxious.

That wasn't all. Since his reawakening, Nurse Hale has been noticing small changes in Flash Sentry's behavior. She was beginning to think that the blow to his head had done much more damage than she originally thought. And it was beginning to creep her out slightly.

Flash Sentry ran his hoof down window glass slightly as he stared at his faint reflection with a small smile and half-lidded gaze. "They're not coming back, you know." he said.

"Pardon?"

"The platoon Wind Dancer sent. They're not coming back. There's no way they can come out of those mountains alive. Look at what happened to my platoon. They've been missing for almost four months now. They're not coming back. None of them are."

"Flash Sentry, do you want to go outside?" Nurse Hale asked with a nervous smile. Trying to sound as calm as possible. The pegasus looked over to her with a smile and nodded.

"I would like that, Nurse Hale, thank you."

Nurse Hale helped the pegasus out of bed and brought him outside. From there she guided him to a part of the empire that was always guarded, and the soldiers are fully aware of Flash Sentry's change in behavior. It wasn't like him to talk this way. He was always a positive sort of stallion. Always looking towards the brighter side of things.

"Keep an eye on him." Hale whispered to one of the guards on duty. "Be sure he is back in the med-bay by dusk. He won't have a problem obeying orders. But if anything, make sure to give him this." Hale then handed the Earth Pony a sedative. "It doesn't work right away, but it packs quite a punch."

"I will. Thanks." the guard replied before taking the needle.

Hale nodded. "Good luck." The cream colored unicorn was about to turn and leave before Flash Sentry suddenly called out to her.

"Nurse Hale! Come watch the sunset with me." he called from one of the benches that was facing the horizon.

Nurse Hale seemed hesitant, but she knew the guard would be watching in case anything happened. Flash Sentry hasn't harmed or killed anypony yet, but that didn't keep her from staying on high alert. She trotted casually over to the bench before taking a seat beside him. Pressing herself closely on the other end and away from the pegasus, who was simply gazing at the sunset with a smile on his face.

...

"His name was Voar."

"What?" Applejack asked.

"Voar!" Fluttershy repeated loudly. "The lead dragon that killed Discord's parents was called Voar. Him and two other dragons. Be he couldn't remember their names."

"And Sombra _forced _Discord to relive this memory while he held him prisoner in his castle?" Pinkie asked next. Fluttershy bobbed her head slowly with a sad expression on her face. "That's horrible!" the pink Earth Pony gasped before slapping both hooves over her mouth from the shock.

"I never thought I'd say this, but poor Discord." Rarity said with a sad sigh.

"At least Discord had parents." Trixie sighed. "I never knew mine. I mostly grew up in a orphanage in Baltimare before I ran away in my early teens to practice magic. But I guess that didn't work out for me in the end." the blue unicorn added with a sad smile.

"I never knew you were an orphan, Trixie." Fluttershy said. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"And don't beat yourself up about not being good at magic." Pinkie Pie added, "You were the one who brought Rarity home safe and sound!"

"I guess you're right about that. And thanks." Trixie's sad smile faded away into a happy one.

"I'm sorry to hear that Discord had to go through that." Rainbow Dash spoke finally. "But that doesn't mean I trust him still. After what he did to us!"

"But, Dash!" Fluttershy protested. "The past is the past! Discord was only being mischievous. He never meant for anypony to get hurt! Besides. You need to learn to let it go and forgive him! I know I have."

"Fiiiiiiiiiine." Rainbow Dash groaned. "I forgive him. But that doesn't mean I trust him still."

"Thank you." Fluttershy said.

There was a loud screech and the train they were on came to a halt as soon as they reached Canterlot Station. The smoke cleared and the ponies existed the train with their luggage. Canterlot was still being rebuilt, but there were some signs of improvement here and there. It's thanks to the effort from the other towns and cities that pitched in to help with the reconstruction of both Canterlot and Ponyville that everything was working out much better than before.

Cadence had already drafted Stallions from Ponyville, Canterlot, and the surrounding area to join the. Even sending some ambassadors over to the Griffin Kingdom in hopes that they would aid them in this war. The current rulers of the Griffin Kingdom were good Griffins, and are willing to aid the ponies however they can. But she would have to wait and see if it would actually happen. The trip by boat would take at least an entire month if the weather was good. The Zebras of the Zebra Kingdom far down south had already agreed to assist them.

The farewells were heartbreaking. Rarity and Applejack took it the hardest because they still had family. Rainbow Dash treated Scootaloo like family, and found it hard not to cry when they hugged. Fluttershy told Angel to behave with the Apple Family while she was away. Applejack gave her older brother, little sister, dog, cousin and Strongheart a tight hug before boarding the train in tears. Rarity found it hard to separate herself from Spike and Sweetie Belle once more, but she managed after promising them she would come home alive.

When they arrived at Canterlot Castle, it was nearing completion. Most of the crumbled walls and towers had been rebuilt while most of the stain-glass windows were replaced with newer ones. Once inside, they were greeted by Princess Cadence and Discord. The Alicorn princess smiled when she saw the six come in.

"I'm so glad all of you could make it." she said after they bowed respectfully. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, but your skills are needed in the Guard." The remorse was clear in her voice. The last thing she wanted was to place the six of them into the battlefield. But what choice did she have?

"Hey. We'll do anything to stop that Tartarus-spawn of a unicorn, it's fine by us." Applejack said. The others nodding in agreement.

Cadence smiled. "Thank you all." she said gratefully before her expression turned serious. "But first things first, I have news I must share with you. After some research I've done in the Castles library, I've confirmed Discord's story about the twelve other Elements."

The throne room was suddenly filled with surprised gasps from the Mane Five. Looking at one another in both shock and disbelief. Trixie didn't react as much as they did. Considering that she's never delt with any of the Elements. But that didn't mean she wasn't surprised herself. Meanwhile, Discord watched their confusion with an "I-told-you-so" expression on his face. He liked it when he was proven right. But at least Fluttershy believed him.

"As Discord said, they're scattered throughout Equestria. Where exactly is a mystery we're still trying to solve."

"Even I don't know their exact locations." the Draconequus admitted. "All they did was use their magic and tossed them throughout the far reaches of Equestria. Even they wouldn't know. These Elements could practically be anywhere!"

Rainbow Dash suddenly threw her head back and let out a loud groan. "Uuuuuugh! Why couldn't they just be hidden in one place all together?"

"We didn't know just how powerful the Elements were at the time." Discord sighed. "We had a feeling that there was something to them, but at the same time we also thought they were just special gems."

"They'll pop up eventually. All we can do now is keep an eye out for them and pray that Sombra doesn't get to them first." Cadence said.

"I don't think Sombra even knows of their existence." Fluttershy chimed. "Think about it. We were always brought up to believe that there were only six Elements of Harmony, and not twelve. It's not like Sombra wasn't brought up the same way."

"Plus only Celestia, Luna, and myself knew about them. We even made a pact not to say anything about it." Discord added.

"So why bring this up now after so many years?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Because we are on the brink of war now." Discord replied. "And with the first six Elements destroyed, the six others are possibly our last hope for salvation."

"In the mean time." Cadence chimed in. "We must focus our efforts on figuring out what his next plan of attack is. Both sides suffered great casualties during The Battle of Canterlot. He has more then a reason to raid another town for new soldiers."

"Well, let's look at it this way." Trixie said. "Appleloosa and Dodge Junction were home to earth ponies, yes?"

"Yes." Cadence nodded.

"And Cloudsdale was home to pegasi, and maybe a few griffins."

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash said. "But all of the griffins who lived there were killed in the massacre. Hatchlings and all." The blue pegasus then tensed when she remembered Gilda's mangled corpse crashing down outside of Celestia's garden. She knew Gilda had done bad things to her friends, but that didn't mean she deserved to die like that.

"Well...in case any of you hadn't noticed, but Sombra isn't attacking random towns. From what I've heard about the Crystal Empire is that its inhabitants were mostly earth ponies; with very few unicorns and pegasi to even build an army with."

"Your point?" Applejack asked.

"Sombra was in need of soldiers. Forcing mares to reproduce would take a lot of time and resources. And he needed ponies to mine in the mines. So instead he came to the conclusion of invade and capture. Translation: capture the necessary ponies that is needed in his army and place the usless ones in the mines."

The others looked at Trixie with both surprised and impressed looks in their eyes. They knew their hearts that Trixie is right. What other reason would Sombra attack random towns and capture its citizens? How she figured this out before any of them is a complete mystery. But it's an impressive move on her part.

"Sombra lost almost half his legion of pegasi. Or that's what I received from the initial report." Cadence said.

"So that means he's likely to target a town full of pegasi, then." Rarity mused.

"But it'll be a while until he pulls another attack. Like us, he's recovering as well. Until then we should have enough soldiers to place in towns that have a high population of pegasi." Cadence said.

"So...what happens to us?" Applejack asked.

"Ah! I almost forgot." Cadence took a few steps forward. "It is time to begin your training for the Royal Guard. Every pony counts."

Fluttershy swallowed nervously as she looked up at the remaining princess with nervous eyes. Beads of sweat appeared on the foreheads of Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity while Pinkie Pie and Trixie felt their breathing suddenly become shallow. Feeling like cattle lined up for slaughter.

"Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy." Cadence announced. "Considering that none of you have any experience in combat, aside from the incident with the Changelings, you'll be placed for training in the medical field. We are low on medics and the both of you seem ideal for the job."

Both ponies let out a sigh of relief and smiled at one another. At least they wouldn't have to kill anypony. Violence just wasn't their thing.

"Trixie and Rarity." Cadence announced next. "Because of your services earlier, you two will not be placed in the saboteur division. Instead, you'll both be placed in the magic division. From there you'll be learning and using spells for combat and other uses."

Rarity's eyes briefly trailed up to her half-grown horn. She could use her magic again, but it wouldn't have a strong effect as before. Both she and Trixie nodded in reply.

"And last but not least: Applejack and Rainbow Dash." Cadence said, turning to the two mares. Both ponies stood tall and firm before the princess with their jaws slightly tightened from the nervousness they now felt. "The both of you will be placed in the combat division." Cadence explained. "From there you'll be learning how to fight and survive a battle. Along with survival techniques and weaponry."

"Yes, princess." both mares said in unison.

Cadence nodded. "This is going to be a long road ahead of you. You're likely to face many challenges and difficulties along the way. But try to remember the reason you're doing this in the first place. As long as you have purpose, your will to fight will continue to burn like the sun."

"Thank you Princess Cadence." Rainbow Dash said before she and the others bowed deeply in respect. "We will not fail you or Equestria."

Cadence smiled at the six ponies. "May Celestia bless you all."

**X.X**

**Heads up to my legit readers out there! :D**

**I might be slow on updates. The school year is coming to an end and I have a crap load of finals to take. Especially this big History Final that will require knowing EVERYTHING I learned from Units 1 through 7. I really hate my History teacher for that -_-**

**That, and I saw Godzilla on Sunday! It-was-AMAZING. **

**Plus there's something I've been wanting to say. I would like to thank all of you for your patience and reviews. Please know that I'm grateful for having such awesome readers like you guys. I'm really glad some of you actually like this story. Despite the errors and multiple twists and turns. It really means a lot to me. So thanks again :)**

**My Demonic Heart and Soul: I've decided that she's only gonna have one foal. But it would be interesting if she had twins or triplets. **

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: Well...I don't write THAT good. But thanks! :D**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: It's a surprise! ;)**

**St33IStrif3: Thanks on Twilight's behalf :3**

**Wild Heart1997: No prob! ^-^. **

**xSOLO GAMERx: I can't promise anything on the kickass name XD**

**Northgalus2002: Happy (late) Memorial Day weekend yourself! And to anyone else who celebrates it! ^-^**

**Guest: School and writer's block are the main causes :|**

**NOTE: For the dragon translations, look up Dragon translator and click on Translator-Thumm**


	33. Chapter 33

That evening. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had been assigned to their division and placed in the barracks with the other recruits. To their surprise, ponies like Octavia and Derpy were also present. It was nice to have some ponies they knew from Ponyville here. They were even more fortunate to have bunk beds beside one another.

"So you guys were drafted in as well?" Rainbow asked.

"Uh huh!" Derpy replied while bobbing her head happily.

"I wasn't so sure about joining the Guard." Octavia said. "But I had no choice since I was required to. During times like this, everypony is needed."

"I'm just surprised ya were placed in the combat division." Applejack admitted.

Octavia's smile dimmed slightly, but she simply flipped her mane back elegantly and said, "I've taken a few lessons. A mare must learn to defend herself, you know."

"Hey. Where's Vinyl?" Rainbow Dash then asked.

"She was placed in the magic division." Octavia replied. Her expression then shifted into worry as she thought about the unicorn. "Poor mare. I worry for her now."

"Don't worry, Octavia! Vinyl's a toughy!" Derpy Hooves said from her top bunk. "She'll be just fine."

"I appreciate your attempt to cheer me up, Miss Hooves." Octavia said. "Thank you."

Derpy giggled playfully. "Not a problem!" she said before her eyes suddenly snapped open when she felt herself slipping over the edge. "W-woah. Waah!" The pegasus suddenly fell off her bed and landed in the space between them.

"Derpy!" Rainbow Dash gasped as she jumped down and helped the other pegasus up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Derpy replied. Feeling a bit dizzy. "Do any of you see the stars circling around my head?"

Applejack chuckled fondly. "Yeup. She's fine." she said.

Just then the door to the barracks suddenly opened and all the mares present immediately snapped their attention over to their drill sergeant, who was none other then Spitfire of the Wonderbolts. "Alright, fillies, lights out!" she said before reaching over to the light switch.

"But it's still light out!" an earth pony complained. The pony then cringed when the pegasus suddenly snapped her attention over to her and lowered shades slightly to reveal brilliant orange eyes.

"You got something to say, cadet?" she asked.

"U-um..." the earth pony stuttered before reeling back when the pegasus suddenly brought her face up to her's very closely."

"Speak louder, cadet!" she snapped, "I can't understand a damn word you're saying!"

"Nothing, Captain Spitfire!" the pony finally yelled.

Spitfire then back away and nodded in approval. "Good." she said before going back over to the light switch. "Now lights out!" she said before flipping the switch and slamming the door behind her.

"What a bitch." one of the mares said.

As if on que, the door suddenly swung open once more and Spitfire poked her head in. Nostrils flaring with anger. "What did you say, cadet!?" she screamed.

The mare then swallowed and frantically shook her head. "N-nothing!" she said frantically.

"That's what I thought!" Spitfire barker before slamming the door once more.

No mare said a word after that. Instead they all simply tucked themselves in and prepared for what was in stored tomorrow. Rainbow Dash stared up at the ceiling while resting her head on both arms. Wondering if Trixie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie's drill sergeant was like this. If they even had one, that is.

"Pssp. Hey, Dashy, ya awake?" she heard Applejack whisper underneath her.

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash replied. Looking over the edge of her bed and down at the earth pony looking back up.

"Spitfire seems like a bitch. Don't ya think?"

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but let out a soft snicker. "Yeah." she agreed. "But she's only doing her job."

"Ah know." Applejack sighed. "I wonder how the others are doin'."

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I don't know." she said as she laid back on her bed. Looking up at the ceiling with both hooves resting over he stomach. "I honestly don't know."

"I'm pretty they're fine." Applejack said. "I'm just worried about Rarity and Trixie. With what they're goin' through 'n all. They're both practically a ticking time bomb waiting to blow."

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash agreed honestly. "But they're strong. I know they are. They've gotten a bit close since the entire incident."

"I guess horrible events really do bring ponies closer together." Applejack mused before yawning. "Well, goodnight."

"Night..." Rainbow Dash replied softly.

...

The next morning was probably one of the worst mornings Rainbow Dash ever had. It was rather too early in the morning when Spitfire suddenly slammed open the door and gave everypony a rude awakening by yelling through a megaphone. The mares scrambled out of their beds. A few falling from the top bunks because of how much of a rush they were all in to get outside. The sun hadn't even broken through the horizon by the time they reached the training grounds. Derpy Hooves and a few others were still half asleep.

"Now I want all of you to give me laps around the training field until I say stop! Are we clear?" Spitfire barked.

"Yes, Spitfire..." most of the mares murmured tiredly while others didn't reply at all and simply stood there. Spitfire's left eye twitched behind her shades and she pulled out the megaphone once more.

"I said: are-we-CLEAR!?" she boomed.

"YES, COMMANDER SPITFIRE!" the mares shouted in unison. Feeling both surprised and slightly shaken.

"Good! Now run until I stay stop. Go go go go!"

The mares immediately took off. Not wanting to be around Spitfire then they already are. Rainbow Dash, not really used to running a lot, managed to catch up to Applejack. "Why do I have the feeling...that...I'm not going to like this one bit." she panted.

Applejack snickered. "Y'all not the only one." she said while gesturing to the other mares around them. A few of which were just on the verge of collapsing. "Let's just hope we'll make it out alive with our sanity intact."

Rainbow Dash laughed.

...

"There you go, Pinkie. That's it." Dr. Beautiful Breeze, chief medic for the Royal Guard, praised as Pinkie Pie finished bandaing up a pony dummy. "Tending to injuries in the battlefield requires concentration and patience. Even in the middle of intense combat. Which is why the unicorns will be there to assist you the entire time."

"Will we get to choose our partner?" one of the earth ponies asked.

"No. Your partner will be selected for you before either of you are sent into combat. Whatever unicorn is available shall be your partner."

"How long will we be in training?" Fluttershy asked.

"Your training depends on what the outcome of the war will be." Beautiful Breeze replied. "For now we have plenty of medics on duty. All of you will be placed on standby once you reach the peak of your training. Which won't be for some time, now."

Fluttershy swallowed nervously. So far their training has been fairly easy. In a matter of hours they learned the importance of knowing which medicine is which, and what wounds to use them on. They were also taught to treat the ones who were more likely to survive, and save the more critical ones last. Right now they were learning on how to patch and cover wounds.

"Good job. All of you." Breeze praised everyone present with a smile on her muzzle. "But be cautioned. The lessons up ahead will not be easy as it is now." she warned.

_Of course, _Fluttershy thought, _Obviously things aren't going to get easy later on. I just hope I will be able to handle it all..._

Their lesson ended up around noon. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie walked side-by-side as they left the medical tent with the others to the mess hall for lunch. As they walked, Fluttershy noticed that something was a little off about her pink friend.

"I something the matter?" she asked worriedly.

Pinkie Pie looked up at her with worrisome eyes. "I'm scared, Shy." she replied. "I'm scared of dying out there. I don't wanna die in a battle zone! I wanted to grow old and die in my sleep with family and friends around me, and not some complete stranger."

Fluttershy swallowed. "I-I'm scared too, Pinkie." she said before stopping to place her hoof on her friends back. "But...try not to let it control you. Fear is just one of those things that can lead to one's downfall. Try to push it aside and think happy thoughts instead. Like the time we made a batch of cupcakes together."

Pinkie Pie suddenly perked up and her face glowed with excitement and joy. "Ooh! I remember that!" she exclaimed. "That was so much fun! And then we burned that one batch in the oven."

Fluttershy giggled. "Yeah. That was funny."

Pinkie Pie then grinned before she embraced her friend in a hug. "Thanks for the advise, Shy. I'll keep it in mind."

"What are friends for?" Fluttershy replied. The two resumed their walk to the mess hall; a confident smile now dominating Pinkie Pie's face as she walked with her head held high. As she walked, Fluttershy couldn't help but scold herself for saying all that. She was just as frightened as Pinkie. But she knew she had to be strong for her friend. Pinkie Pie can be a little...unstable at times. Which often worried her and the others.

Hopefully they would both manage to walk out of the carnage together, and not in body bags

...

"Rarity. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Vinyl whispered low enough for only the two of them to hear.

"Sure." Rarity nodded before turning to Trixie. "I'll be right back."

Trixie nodded and resumed her conversation with Lyra, another unicorn whom Rarity knew.

Rarity got out of her seat and followed the other unicorn to the entrance of the mess hall, which was filled with all sorts of unicorns. Some of which came from as far as Vanhoover. After making sure they were away from prying eyes, Vinyl turned to Rarity and looked at her with clear confusion.

"If you don't mind me askin', but why are you being so nice to Trixie all of a sudden?"

Rarity looked confused herself. But she didn't need to ask what she meant. She quickly knew what she was talking about. "It's said that during horrible events in our lives is what brings ponies closer to one another." she replied firmly, "Are you aware of what happened to Trixie and I?"

Vinyl's ears lowered against her head and she gave Rarity a sympathetic look. "Yes, I am. Neither of you deserved what you went through."

_Maybe me, but certainly not Trixie, _Rarity thought to herself before quickly pushing the thought aside. "Trixie may have been a bad pony when she first came, but that doesn't mean she's one entirely. I've seen good in her during our time together. She is the one who brought me home after all. If it hadn't been for her, I'd be rotting in a cell for all I know. _Or maybe a limbless body with a head. Twilight did say she was planning on dismembering me alive._

"I'm sorry. I was only curious." Vinyl said.

Rarity smiled and patter her back. "There is no need to apologize. You aren't the first to ask, anyway."

The other unicorn chuckled. "I guess so. I just hope Octavia will be alright in the battlefield. She's a tough cookie 'n all, but..."

"I know how much she means to you, Vinyl." Rarity sighed. Everypony in Ponyville knows about the close bond Vinyl shared with Octavia. It was as though they were sisters in a past life who got separated, and are now reunited in this one. "Octavia will be fine. You just have to believe it. Like you said, she's a tough cookie."

"... Yeah. I guess you're right." Vinyl replied after a few minutes of silence. "Is something wrong? I forgot to mention that you look a bit pale."

"What? Oh, no. Nothing is wrong." Rarity replied. "It's just the stress of all this training we're going through. Nothing much."

Vinyl rolled her eyes in agreement. "Tell me about it. I rather be back in school than this!"

The two of them laugh briefly before making their way back to their table. "But seriously. It looks like you got something on your mind."

"Really, Vinyl. It's nothing." Rarity assured her. In reality, Rarity was worried about having to meet Twilight once more. Especially in the battlefield. _No... _Rarity thought sadly. Closing her eyes. _She's not Twilight. Not anymore, that is... I just wish I had to the will to tell my friends. But they'll be heartbroken. Especially Rainbow Dash and Spike... I won't tell them. For their sake._

**X.X**

**School's out! For me, it ended last Wednesday. But still. SUMMER TIME!**

**Before I continue, I would like to apologize for the LONG wait. I've been into other things like Mario fanfics and Tomodachi Life that came out on Friday in the states. So updates might be a while, again. Plus I'm hoping on getting a summer job next month. But any who, thank you all for your patience :3 Hopefully this chapter was enough to satisfy all of you.**

**Lusaphira: Thanks! ^-^**

**Fan: That hasn't been decided, I'm afraid ;3**

**PrincessMidnightMoon: Finals and other junk got in my way **

**Ms. Moonshoes Potter: At least it's FINALLY over.**

**Northgalus2002: Thanks. Your review really helped me when I received it :)**

**Wild Heart1997: Lol, but I'm afraid Flash Sentry isn't becoming suicidal. But he might become homicidal! ;D And I'm afraid there won't be any new ponies to represent the new elements. **

**I don't when the next chapter will pop up. But hang in there! :D And have a good/safe summer!**


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